Figures show 拢1.7bn saved from major projects as part of an efficiency drive that realised 拢10bn in savings across Whitehall last year

Maude

The government has saved around 拢1.7bn from major projects as part of an efficiency drive that realised 拢10bn in savings across Whitehall last year

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said new figures published today for 2012/13 show the government saved 拢10bn through its efficiency drive, exceeding its stated target of 拢8bn.

The savings are calculated by comparing spending over 2012/13 with 2009/10 - the last year before the general election. It follows 拢3.75bn in savings in the year after the general election and 拢5.5bn in 2011/12.

The Cabinet Office said the savings include 拢1.7bn through reviewing and reshaping large scale projects, including construction, and stripping out inefficiencies.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said 拢400m of the 拢1.7bn in savings was directly from construction projects, including 拢145m in cost reductions on the Crossrail project, and 拢86m in saved by the Education Funding Agency on the construction costs of school projects.

The efficiency programme has been led by the Efficiency and Reform Group - a joint Cabinet Office and Treasury initiative.

Other savings include:

  • 拢3.8bn by linking together departments to buy goods and services and enforcing sensible controls on recruitment and use of consultants;
  • 拢1.1bn by improving online services, and raising money through selling empty buildings and exiting expensive rentals in sought-after locations;
  • 拢3.4bn by reducing the size of the Civil Service and reforming Civil Service pensions.

Maude said: 鈥淭he unprecedented 拢10bn savings last year shows we have defied expectations and accelerated the pace of reform. There can be no going back to the old, wasteful ways of doing things which we saw in the past.鈥�

 

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