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Written question asked by Lord Maude of Horsham (Conservative) on Thursday, 1 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 December 2005. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 December 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Administrative Savings

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what administrative savings have been made by his Department in each of the last eight years.
Answer

The 2000 Spending Review set the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) an efficiency target of 3 percent. of its budget over for 2002–03 and 2003–04. The savings were identified in areas such as procurement, reviewing staff requirements and internal markets. Corresponding adjustments were then made to Directorate's allocations. Savings amounted to:

£ million
2001–02 7.0
2002–03 12.2

In the 2002 Spending Review, the FCO committed to save 2.5 percent. on its administration budget year on year. This was mirrored in the FCO's internal resource allocation: Directorates were allocated resources to meet new requirements and challenges but were required to find 2.5 percent. efficiency savings.This amounted to:

£ million
2003–04 19.7
2004–05 19.9

The FCO also saved an additional £6.6 million in 2004–05 as part of the efficiency plan agreed in the 2004 Spending Review.Systematic data on efficiency savings realised (as opposed to planned) for the financial years before 2001–02 is not available and could not be reconstituted except at a disproportionate cost.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
34953; 440 c2058W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Cost effectiveness Administration Government departments Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk