Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, how much money it projects it will save from (a) restrictions on overtime and (b) recruitment freezes.
The Scottish Government Fiscal Statement (3 September 2024) and accompanying letter to the Finance Committee Scottish Government Pre-Budget Fiscal Update: Letter to Finance Committee - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)set out savings measures taken in the financial year to date, including those generated through the application of emergency spending controls. Alongside specific savings detailed in the statement a further up to £60 million savings are anticipated to be generated through the emergency spending controls over the remainder of the financial year. The controls require greater scrutiny over expenditure and whether it is truly essential or unavoidable, as well as targeting recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing, savings generated that result in revisions to budgets will be reported and published in the Autumn and Spring Budget Revisions, in line with usual in-year financial management processes.