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WQ.371/2023
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR TREAUSRY AND RESOURCES BY DEPUTY L.V. FELTHAM OF ST. HELIER CENTRAL
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2023 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 9th OCTOBER 2023
Question
“Will the Minister, in respect of the Heads of Expenditure items in the proposed Government Plan 2024- 2027 –
- outline the process followed by departments to determine which revenue expenditure growth bids to submit tothe Council of Ministers for consideration, including decision points involving accountable officers and budget holders;
- detail theprocess followed bythe Council of Ministers to determine which revenue expenditure growth bids would be included within the proposed Government Plan, including any decision points involving Ministers;
- list all growth bids, budget increases and budget reductions considered by accountable officers and statethe outcome of their considerations;
- listall growth bids, budget increases and budget reductions considered by Ministers and state the outcomeof their considerations; and
- list all growth bids, budget increases and budget reductions considered by the Council of Ministers and state the outcomeof its considerations?”
Answer
The Council of Ministers agreed the high-level Government Plan process for revenue expenditure growth bids, with three different stages to the process outlined below;
- Business case commissioning
- Business case developed
- Business case approval
The process was designed to produce a deliverable, affordable plan via an iterative process, with items changing, falling away, or being added at various stages as the plan evolved.
Business case commissioning
Initially, departments were asked to complete a business case commissioning form. Accountable Officers, working with their budget holders and departments were asked to identify investment requests, with consideration to addressing key risks or other essential priorities, and ensuring alignment to the direction of Ministers’ plans.
Accountable Officers were responsible for compiling investment requests for their respective departments and submitting the completed commissioning form which included details of the following.
• a summary of the investment request
• statement of the case for change,
• estimated costs
• number of people/FTE to recruit
• risks to delivery
• assessment of the investment complexity and deliverability
Throughout the process, the Council of Ministers and Accountable Officers received an update on the forecast financial envelope, with the initial set of economic assumptions published by the Fiscal Policy Panel on the 20th March. The spring economic assumptions were used to by the Income Forecasting Group to produce their spring forecast report, which in turn informed the early decision-making process for the Government Plan.
In light of the initial forecast financial envelope developed at the end of April, Minsters and Accountable Officers were asked to review their funding priorities to put forward requests that;
• meet critical risks that cannot be addressed through reprioritisation within existing expenditure limits.
• address unavoidable needs that will have a high impact on Islanders
• support existing commitments
• ensure the timeframes proposed for investment requests were realistic and deliverable
• ensure growth in headcount/FTE was justified.
Accountable Officers submitted their initial business case commissioning forms by the 3rd May, with individual departments responsible for running their own processes.
Business case developed
Following the initial business case commissioning process, the Council of Ministers reviewed the total of growth bids received during a Government Plan workshop considering the overall scale of investment and impact on the financial envelope, as well as public sector headcount. The scale of growth bids submitted through the initial commissioning process, was determined to be both unaffordable and undeliverable with available resources. The Council of Ministers therefore agreed to hold Ministerial working groups to review the growth bids initially requested, with each session seeking to prioritise investment requests considering;
• impact that could be achieved for Islanders
• need for additional funding
• deliverability
• willingness to raise taxes/charges to fund the initiative
The Ministerial working group workshops were focussed on reducing the number of business cases being commissioned. Each Ministerial working group reported back at a further Council of Ministers’ Government Plan workshop, where the overall list of revenue expenditure growth bids was reviewed. The Council of Ministers considered the investment requests and agreed which bids progressed through to business case development for further consideration and review. The Council of Ministers agreed that the business cases should provide alternative and lower-cost delivery options with business cases due to be completed by 23 June.
Accountable officers, working with their departments and Ministers were then responsible for the drafting of business cases commissioned.
Business case approval
Following the submission of business cases commissioned, further Government Plan workshops were held with the Council of Ministers in July. Ministers then prioritised the business cases submitted considering all of the points mentioned above, including consideration of decisions required to fund revenue expenditure growth requests (affordability) and competing pressures with the cost of living, recruitment and retention and housing. Ministers and Accountable Officers, were required to justify their revenue expenditure growth requests to the Council of Ministers, to ensure due process and challenge.
The Council of Ministers agreed the funding for some revenue growth requests based on the lowest cost option, or at a reduced level of funding than requested, based on considerations around affordability and deliverability. Accountable officers working with their departments were then responsible for finalising business cases where a lower cost option had been agreed.
Non-Ministerial States bodies
Under Article 10 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019, the government plan must set out proposed appropriations in relation to non-Ministerial States bodies. These appropriations were submitted through a separate process to the above and included within the government plan.
Other increase and decreases to budgets
Separate processes ran alongside the revenue expenditure growth process, including budgets increases and decreases for service transfers, pay awards, inflation, formula driven growth, and value for money. Value for money allocations, were considered by Council of Ministers through Government Plan workshops, the final allocation of value for money savings was based on a pro-rata allocation of controllable net revenue expenditure by department.
Lists of revenue expenditure growth bids considered
The full list of approved revenue expenditure growth bids is included within appendix 3 to the Government Plan. The list of growth bids submitted by Accountable Officers and reviewed at Ministerial working groups is provided below – indicating whether Business Cases were commissioned or not. The Council of Ministers considered the Business Cases in making their final decisions for the Government.
The central exercise to consolidated revenue expenditure growth requests, includes only those bids initially put forward by Accountable Officers. Each department, accountable officer, will have their own process for prioritising growth requests and not all of these will have been submitted to the business case commissioning stage.
|
Minister |
Revenue Growth Request |
BC Commissioned |
Included in GP24 |
GP24 Reference |
|
Minister for International Development |
Island Identity Programme |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Education Reform Inclusion phase 2 |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Social Care Reform Programme Phase 2 - Additional homes for children in the care of the Minister |
Y |
Y |
I-CYPES- GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Demographics |
Y |
N |
I-CYPES- GP24-2[1] |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Social Worker Recruitment and Retention |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Early Years (nursery, literacy, and therapies) |
Y |
N |
I-CYPES- GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Project CLARE |
Y |
N |
I-CYPES- GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Developing Contextual Safeguarding hub by effectively responding to criminal and sexual exploitation of children |
Y |
N |
I-CYPES- GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Apprenticeships |
Y |
N |
I-CYPES- GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Arts Education, Music and Personal Development |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Community Schools - Scoping and pilot |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Jersey Youth Service - Workforce sufficiency / sustainability / professional training |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Jersey Children's Day |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Inclusion – fee paying Government provided schools |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Digital Education Requirement |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Children's Rights and Engagement Officers |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Combined provision for young people not in employment education or training |
Y |
Y |
I-CYPES- GP24-3 |
|
Minister for Children and Education |
Extraordinary Inflation |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Performance Sport and strategic investment in Sport |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Jersey Heritage Trust Pre-87 Pension Deficit |
N |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-5 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Future Economy Programme - Staff Costs |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Events Development Action Plan |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for External Relations |
Intellectual Property Framework |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-4 |
|
Chief Minister |
Securing prosperity of financial and professional services (JFL) |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-6 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Visitor Economy Infrastructure Fund |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Digital Economy Strategy Implementation |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Tourism Marketing |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Rural and Marine Economy |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Jersey Business – Core Grant Growth funding bid |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-3 |
|
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture |
Development of Jersey as a Regional Economic Hub |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Continuation of the VAWG taskforce – implementation phase |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for External Relations |
Overseas Offices |
Y |
Y |
I-ER-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Outcome of Demand and Capacity Review |
Y |
Y |
I-JHA-GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
SJFRS OpEx pressures |
Y |
Y |
I-JHA-GP24-4 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Operating budget |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Building Safety framework review |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
JHA Data Manager and Analyst |
Y |
Y |
I-JHA-GP24-3 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Defence funding shortfall |
Y |
Y |
I-JHA-GP24-5 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Transportation of deceased persons on behalf of the coroner |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Fire and Rescue Service Pay, Terms and Conditions Review |
Y |
Y |
I-JHA-GP24- 001 |
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Ambulance Station HQ Maintenance |
Y |
Y |
I-I&E-GP24- 001 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Digital Forensics |
Y |
Y |
I-POL-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Non-staff Cost Budget Pressures |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Staff funding cost pressure |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Learning & Development (Police Training incl Officer Safety Training) |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Police Constable Training |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Home Affairs |
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) |
Y |
Y |
I-DFE-GP24-5 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Scheme |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 7 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Continuation of Strategic Health Policy and Governance |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 3 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Maintaining current vaccination services |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Maintaining the current health protection function |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 4 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Maintaining current public health function |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 4 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Major Incident Health and Wellbeing Recovery Programme |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 5 |
|
Minister for Housing and Communities |
Vacant Homes – reprofiled investment |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Housing and Communities |
Housing data |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Housing and Communities |
Strategic Housing and Regeneration Team |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 6 |
|
Minister for Housing and Communities |
Chief Ministers relentless focus - Housing |
Y |
Y |
I-CLS-GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Social Security |
Community Compass |
Y |
Y |
I-CLS-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Social Security |
Jersey Pension Saver (Financial Wellbeing in Old Age) |
Y |
Y |
I-CLS-GP24-3 |
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Pathology staffing to maintain accreditation & COVID19 PCR Testing |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Technician 8 Job Evaluation outcome funding |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Patient Level Information and Costing System |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Hugo Mascie- Taylor Response (Be Our Best) |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Community Framework |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Quality and Safety Team |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Implementation of Ministerial Priority Strategies - Mental Health, Dementia, Autism and Neurodiversity |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Intelligent Client - Digital Strategy |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Patient Travel Policy |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Samares Ward - Rehabilitation Services |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Non-Resident Charging Policy |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Oxygen and Respiratory Service |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
ED Overnight |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Stroke Service |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Patient Experience (PALS) |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Pharmacy Vaccine Administrator |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Endoscopy Staffing |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Cancer care: Multi-Disciplinary Team |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
23 Hour Stay |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Cross-Sectional Imaging |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Second Emergency Surgeon |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Pre-Assessment Service |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Therapies Admin Support |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Speech and Language Therapy |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Consultant General Physician for Trauma & Orthopaedics and Surgical Liaison |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Jersey Heart Services |
N |
|
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Mental Health & Adult Social Care: Access to Professional Qualification |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Increasing Safeguarding Capacity |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Sandybrook Staffing (Jersey Care Commission Advice) |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Resuscitation Service |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Hosiery and Dressings |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Breast Cancer Screening |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Vulnerable Complex Needs Service |
Y |
HCS funding based on FRP |
|
|
Minister for Health and Social Services |
Overnight Community Care (GP Out of Hours) |
N |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Application Maintenance and Support |
Y |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Internal Professional Services Capability |
N |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
GoJ Change Portfolio Reporting Tool |
N |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
New Recruitment Model |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Housing and Communities |
Teachers Pension Scheme |
N |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Redress Scheme for Failure to Remove |
Y |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Statistics Jersey – Administrative data linkage team |
Y |
Y |
I-SPPP-GP24- 1 |
|
Chief Minister |
Statistics Jersey – Living Cost and Household Income Survey |
Y |
N |
|
|
Chief Minister |
Statistics Jersey - Statistics and Census Law Update |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Development levies |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Securing the benefits of offshore wind for islanders |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Process Chemicals |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Active Membership Income |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Fort Regent |
Y |
Y |
I-I&E-GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Renewable Diesel Funding Uplift – Decarbonising Government |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Tree Surveys |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Technology Roadmap for Connect Assets |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Funding for countryside, water and air quality |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Develop one or more strategies for the conservation of biodiversity |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Water Strategy |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Jersey Met - Weather monitoring, warnings and active travel forecast |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Biosecurity Team - Operational delivery of biosecurity. Invasive and regulated organisms |
Y |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
Environmental Performance Certificates (estates) |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Infrastructure |
JPH Revenue |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Environment |
Growth in demand for functions - Natural Environment |
Y |
Y |
I-I&E-GP24-3 |
|
Minister for Treasury and Resources |
Insurance Premiums |
Y |
Y |
I-T&E-GP24-1 |
|
Minister for Treasury and Resources |
Additional Bank Charges and Card Fees |
N |
N |
|
|
Minister for Treasury and Resources |
Consolidation and further development of Revenue Jersey |
Y |
Y |
I-T&E-GP24-2 |
|
Minister for Treasury and Resources |
Revenue & Exchange Systems Update, Development & Maintenance |
N |
N |
|