Efficiency Savings (First Minister's Portfolio)

Hbos – in the Scottish Parliament at 12:00 pm on 13 November 2008.

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Photo of Andy Kerr Andy Kerr Labour 12:00, 13 November 2008

To ask the First Minister for what reasons his own portfolio has not achieved the 2 per cent efficiency savings asked of all directorates, including those responsible for health and education. (S3F-1183)

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

As the minister who was responsible for introducing the 2005 to 2008 efficient government initiative to which he refers, Mr Kerr should be aware that his Administration did not set a 2 per cent target for any parts of government. Indeed, only since the current Administration launched the 2008 to 2011 efficient government programme have all ministerial portfolios been set a clear, unambiguous target of 2 per cent. Mr Kerr will appreciate that, as we have just passed the midpoint of the first year of the new programme, it is too early to report on whether any portfolio has reached its 2 per cent target for the year 2008-09. Nevertheless, the signs are good.

Photo of Andy Kerr Andy Kerr Labour

I am not sure that I concur with the view that the signs are good. The First Minister previously mentioned the economic downturn. From all the information that is available to me, it appears that his Government's efficiencies are fast becoming cuts in services and in jobs, especially in local government. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities understands that and Mr Swinney understands it, too. The Prime Minister has risen to the challenge of the new economic environment. Will the First Minister do likewise and stop the job cuts?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

Andy Kerr seems to have forgotten that the Labour Party's argument against our efficiencies in government—which came from the former leader—was that they were too small. In the famous hungry caterpillar speech, Wendy Alexander said that our efficiency savings were too small: the record speaks for itself. Also, the difference between our efficiency savings and the previous Administration's efficiency savings is that Government departments are getting to keep and reinvest their efficiency savings under Mr Swinney's wise tutelage.

I am not surprised that Andy Kerr wandered off his initial question. When I saw it in the Business Bulletin, I decided to make some detailed investigations into the period when he was the Minister for Finance and Public Services and Jack McConnell was the First Minister. I found that the entire explanation for a £7 million underhit in efficiency savings was that BBC Alba, instead of being launched in 2007-08—the year in which Andy Kerr thought that it was going to be launched—was launched only in September this year. I put it to Andy Kerr that it is difficult for any department or for BBC Alba to make efficiency savings before it starts production.