By David Scott
25 November 2009
The public sector in Scotland has exceeded efficiency targets by more than £300m, bringing total savings to almost £840m, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced on November 24.
He said the efficiency target for 2008/09 was 2%, or £534m, but latest figures showed that savings of 3.1% had been achieved.
Swinney said the figures demonstrated that ‘we have made excellent progress for Scotland’s taxpayers’. He added: ‘The government’s focus is on delivering high-quality frontline services and money freed up is already being reinvested for that purpose, in health boards and in local and central government.’
The efficiency plans showed that the public sector was on track to exceed the current year’s target, which is even higher, the minister said.
But the Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesman, Jeremy Purvis, said the Scottish National Party government should go further. He said: ‘If they are to deliver better value for the public purse then they need to cut the £401m pay bill for the highest paid public sector bosses rather than simply rearranging money like this.’
25 November 2009
The public sector in Scotland has exceeded efficiency targets by more than £300m, bringing total savings to almost £840m, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced on November 24.
He said the efficiency target for 2008/09 was 2%, or £534m, but latest figures showed that savings of 3.1% had been achieved.
Swinney said the figures demonstrated that ‘we have made excellent progress for Scotland’s taxpayers’. He added: ‘The government’s focus is on delivering high-quality frontline services and money freed up is already being reinvested for that purpose, in health boards and in local and central government.’
The efficiency plans showed that the public sector was on track to exceed the current year’s target, which is even higher, the minister said.
But the Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesman, Jeremy Purvis, said the Scottish National Party government should go further. He said: ‘If they are to deliver better value for the public purse then they need to cut the £401m pay bill for the highest paid public sector bosses rather than simply rearranging money like this.’
