HC Deb 03 December 1982 vol 33 c312W
Mr. Robert Sheldon

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will provide a list of the £203 million of potential savings in the Civil Service resulting from the scrutinies of Sir Derek Rayner.

Mr. Hayhoe

Potential savings worth about £274 million a year plus about £39 million once-and-for-all have been identified by the scrutinies and reviews with which Sir Derek Rayner has been associated. These potential savings—which exclude recommendations rejected or otherwise found to be unobtainable—arose from the following programmes:

Programme Potential savings
1979 "Rayner Projects" £67 million a year plus
£28 million once-and-for-all
1980 Scrutiny programme £119 million a year
1980 Review of Government Statistical Services £17 million a year
1981 Scrutiny programme £56 million a year plus
£4 million once-and-for-all
1981 Review of Research and Development Support Services £15 million a year plus
1981 Review of Administrative Forms Quantified savings of £0.3 million already agreed; further and more substantial savings in processing will also be achieved.

Firm decisions have already been taken in respect of about half these savings. The rest depend on further consideration and consultation. Additional savings will come from the 27 scrutinies and three multi-Department reviews being conducted as part of the central efficiency strategy for 1982. This programme is not yet complete.

Individual scrutinies and reviews are the responsibility of the departmental Ministers concerned. I would refer the right hon. Member to them for further details of particular studies.