Skip to main content

(502) The budget for the Scrutiny function

The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.

The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.

8

1240/5/1(502)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAIRMEN'S COMMITTEE

BY DEPUTY J.A. MARTIN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2017

Question

Will the President inform the Assembly of what the Scrutiny budget was at the start of the Scrutiny function in 2005 and what that budget is now; and will he indicate how the initial and current budgets compare when taking into account inflation?

Answer

 

Budget Category

2006

2006 adjusted for inflation (to Q1 2017)

2017

Fixed Costs

£520,058

£691,327

£896,044

Panel/Review Budget

£419,000

£556,988

£389,000

Total Overall Budget

£939,058

£1,248,315

£1,285,044

The Scrutiny Panels (initially four) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) began work under the new system of Ministerial Government in December 2005. The above table shows that the budget allocated to the Panels and PAC for discretionary spend on review work (for example adviser fees, research, hearing transcripts) in 2006 totalled £419,000. Adjusted for inflation this would be equivalent to £556,988 in Q1 2017, and compares to a budget of £389,000 for discretionary spend in 2017.

With additional fixed costs included, such as for staff and associated office accommodation rental fees, the overall budget allocated to the Scrutiny function was £939,058 in 2006 (adjusted for inflation this is equivalent to £1,248,315 in Q1 2017) and £1,285,044 in 2017.

The following might also be noted for context:

  • A fifth Scrutiny Panel was established late in 2006, with the remit of the then Social Affairs Panel being shared out between the Education and Home Affairs Panel and the Health and Social Security Panel.
  • Both elements of the budget have been subject to the influence of States wide Comprehensive Spending Reviews in intervening years on the States Greffe's budget (2011 -2%, 2012 -3%, 2013 -5%)
  • In all years, Panel/Review actual spend has been within budget at year end.