Listen
Review of public sector budgets
24/05/2007
A report on the management of public sector budgets was published today.
The independent review undertaken in 2006 was compiled by a group of senior figures from the private and public sector led by Bill Howat. It examined how budgets were meeting priorities across the Executive.
Today's publication coincided with a debate in Parliament on the new administration's approach to Government with Cabinet Secretary John Swinney outlining his vision of a more focused and more efficient Government in Scotland.
Mr Swinney said:
"Our ambition is to establish a smaller, more efficient and more focused government to better meet the needs of the people of Scotland. We want to deliver the best possible value for taxpayers.
"The report that we are making available to the Parliament and the public for the first time will help to inform the decisions we need to take in order to achieve that ambition. The report paints a picture of a "crowded landscape" in the public sector.
"This vision for an efficient and smaller government was established well before we had sight of the independent report. The fiscal position is clearly becoming tighter and we must ensure we deliver maximum value for the public from taxpayers' money. Driving efficiencies and best value across the public sector must start with good government.
"We are publishing the report in the spirit of openness, transparency and accountability. It will help us and Parliamentary colleagues as we prepare for the forthcoming Strategic Spending Review. Publication does not mean that we accept the report's recommendations but we do want to see an informed debate around the future of Scotland's public services.
"During the next few months the structures and processes of government and the public sector will be reviewed. The people who deliver these key, frontline services must be involved in this process and help us to deliver better public services for taxpayers."
The Executive will consider the Budget Review report as part of its preparation financial planning for the next Spending Review 2007. The Cabinet Secretary will report to Parliament on the Spending Review in Autumn 2007.
The remit of the group was to identify scope for realignment of budgets across the portfolios of the Executive.
The members recruited in the first phase that commenced on October 3, 2005:
- Bill Howat, Chief Executive of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (until 23 November) (Lead Reviewer)
- Bill Hughes, former Finance Director of Renfrewshire Council (Deputy Lead Reviewer)
- Peter Daniels, former Chief Executive of East Renfrewshire Council
- Bernard Devine, former Chief Executive of North Ayrshire Council
- Harry Robertson, former Chief Executive of Perth & Kinross Council
- Alex Smith, Chief Executive of NHS Grampian
- Archie Strang, Executive Director Finance & IT Resources of South Lanarkshire Council
- George Thorley, former Chief Executive of South Ayrshire Council
- Bill Matthews, Managing Director of business consultancy M2M2 Limited
- Jenny Stewart, Director of Project Finance, Ernst and Young
- David Wallace, former Finance, and Operations Director at Abbey National, and currently a member of the Executive's Financial Services Advisory Board
- Tim Wilcock, Director of Finance, McGrigors, and formerly with BP, ICI and AstraZeneca