Salmond and Swinney only ministers set to miss savings targets

Published on Tuesday 7 April 2009 22:22

ALEX Salmond and John Swinney – the ministers who have done more to champion the public-sector efficiency drive than any other – head the departments with the worst records on this issue, it emerged yesterday.

The Scottish Government published figures showing the performance of each department against a planned target of 2 per cent budget savings every year. The statistics included forecasts for the 2010-11 financial year.

Most of the big departments are already on course to make the necessary savings, particularly education, which is aiming to exceed the 2 per cent target. And overall, the Scottish Government is on course to hit its rolling 2 per cent per year target by the end of 2010-11.

But two departments are set to miss the targets by a massive margin and, at the moment, are being rescued by savings made elsewhere.

The poorly performing departments are the First Minister's Office and the economy department, led by finance secretary John Swinney.

Mr Salmond and Mr Swinney have been at the forefront of the efficiency campaign, urging the whole of the public sector to become more efficient.

The First Minister's Office, which includes the culture, media and sport portfolio, has a target of 15.9 million of savings for the 2010-11 financial year.

Present estimates suggest only 10 million will be saved – a worse performance than the year before.

Mr Swinney's economy department is supposed to make 143 million of savings in the 2010-11 financial year but is on course for only half of that, 72 million.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: "It's remarkable that, when government is asked to tighten its belt, the departments that are falling short are the First Minister's own and the finance minister's.

"Whilst Fiona Hyslop can find more than her efficiency target in the under-fire education department, the First Minister is struggling to find savings in his own and Mr Swinney is way off beam with millions yet to find.

"What happened to setting a positive example?"

Jeremy Purvis, for the Liberal Democrats, said: "It would be an outrage if, after all of the protestations about efficiencies across the UK, Alex Salmond and John Swinney haven't even met their own targets within their own departments."

Derek Brownlee, for the Conservatives, said: "You would have thought the First Minister would have wanted to set a shining example.

"But once again, it is 'do as I say, not as I do', from Alex Salmond. We need less government by spin and more real efficiency during the recession from the SNP."

A Scottish Government spokesman insisted ministers were determined to hit the targets, however far away they might seem at the moment.

He said: "It is an ongoing process and some plans – in particular for 2010-11 – are still in the process of being developed and finalised."

He added: "The Scottish Government will produce annual reports which reflect exactly what each programme has delivered, and we are determined to meet our targets across the government and public sector."