By David Scott in Edinburgh
24 September 2009
Scotland’s permanent secretary, Sir John Elvidge, has ordered a fundamental review of the ‘effectiveness and affordability’ of the Scottish Government and its agencies, prompting union fears that it will lead to wide-ranging job cuts.
In a document issued to staff, which has been seen by Public Finance, Elvidge said the review would ‘scrutinise all that we do’ and warned: ‘We will have less money to run the business.’
He added: ‘We are therefore going to look at how we are currently organised and resourced and ask ourselves whether that fits with the new approach to government in Scotland, and if it is the most affordable and effective way of delivering our priorities from now on.’
Elvidge also pointed out that the Scottish Government was facing the test of a significant reduction in public spending. This gave the review – to be called Shaping Up – added focus and urgency.
In a question-and-answer document explaining the review, staff have been told that it is not a ‘cuts agenda’ and that the emphasis will be on effectiveness and affordability. But the decision to conduct a review has angered unions, who believe it is a plan to cut jobs and services.
Eddie Reilly, Scottish secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: ‘There is only one conclusion – this review is not about shaping up but about shipping out. It is the beginning of public servants and public services in Scotland paying the price for the banking crisis and the recession.’
The document was prepared before last week’s publication of the draft Scottish budget, which involves spending cuts for the first time since devolution. But the unions believe the timing is no coincidence.
Elvidge told staff that some radical and important changes in the way civil servants work have been made since devolution. He believed the time was now right ‘to conduct a fundamental review of the current shape and working practices of the organisation – across the Scottish Government and its agencies’.
He stressed: ‘I want to say plainly that the review is not about cuts. The budget is a separate issue.’
24 September 2009
Scotland’s permanent secretary, Sir John Elvidge, has ordered a fundamental review of the ‘effectiveness and affordability’ of the Scottish Government and its agencies, prompting union fears that it will lead to wide-ranging job cuts.
In a document issued to staff, which has been seen by Public Finance, Elvidge said the review would ‘scrutinise all that we do’ and warned: ‘We will have less money to run the business.’
He added: ‘We are therefore going to look at how we are currently organised and resourced and ask ourselves whether that fits with the new approach to government in Scotland, and if it is the most affordable and effective way of delivering our priorities from now on.’
Elvidge also pointed out that the Scottish Government was facing the test of a significant reduction in public spending. This gave the review – to be called Shaping Up – added focus and urgency.
In a question-and-answer document explaining the review, staff have been told that it is not a ‘cuts agenda’ and that the emphasis will be on effectiveness and affordability. But the decision to conduct a review has angered unions, who believe it is a plan to cut jobs and services.
Eddie Reilly, Scottish secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: ‘There is only one conclusion – this review is not about shaping up but about shipping out. It is the beginning of public servants and public services in Scotland paying the price for the banking crisis and the recession.’
The document was prepared before last week’s publication of the draft Scottish budget, which involves spending cuts for the first time since devolution. But the unions believe the timing is no coincidence.
Elvidge told staff that some radical and important changes in the way civil servants work have been made since devolution. He believed the time was now right ‘to conduct a fundamental review of the current shape and working practices of the organisation – across the Scottish Government and its agencies’.
He stressed: ‘I want to say plainly that the review is not about cuts. The budget is a separate issue.’
