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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR TREASURY AND RESOURCES BY DEPUTY G.P.SOUTHERN OF ST HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 9th SEPTEMBER 2014
Question
Does the Minister accept that the proposals to manage the consolidated fund balance by removing 2% from the public sector pay budget (page 56 of the Budget 2015) effectively reneges on the agreement made by the SEB for a cost of living pay award in 2015 and, if so, how does he justify this proposal?
If not, why did he feel it was justified to refer to possible recruitment freezes (page 58) at a time when school rolls are rising and the Health and Social Services Department is already carrying vacancies for experienced specialist nurses? Did the Minister carry out an impact assessment of such a recruitment freeze on the level of public services provision before including reference to this in the Budget and, if not, why not?
Answer
Proposals for a pay review in 2015 have yet to be considered by SEB
The Minister asked that the proposed measures in the draft Budget 2015 be reviewed and agreed by both Corporate Management Board and the Council of Ministers ahead of the Budget debate. As a result of this further process Chief Officers have requested that the proposed 2% savings be based on gross expenditure and not specifically targeted at either will be or non-staff budgets. A revised set of measures to manage the balance on the Consolidated Fund will be presented to the States as part of the Minister's Amendments to the draft Budget 2015.
Ministers and their Departments will therefore be able to take account of the impact on staffing levels and the levels of public service provision when determining how the savings are attributed in 2015.