Westminster blog

A surreal answer from the government to the simple question of why DCLG’s admin costs are still going up.

As my source points out, it is a “fantastic illustration of Whitehall double-speak“.

(Hansard, September 9)

Departmental Finance

Mrs. (Caroline) Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 11 of his Department’s Resource Accounts for 2008-09, HC 449, what the reasons are for the increase in the cost of central administration from 2009-10 to 2010-11; and for what reasons the cost of that increase has not been met from annual efficiency savings. [290733]

Mr. Ian Austin: The Department’s central administration spending plans (as reported in the 2008-09 Resource Accounts) include the ringfenced administration budget, the Department’s own capital expenditure and other current expenditure. It is an increase in the budget for other current expenditure that accounts for the reported increase in budgets between 2009-10 and 2010-11. These costs sit outside of the Department’s administration budget, on which it is expected to deliver 5 per cent. annual efficiency savings plans for administration spending in 2009-10 and 2010-11 take full account of the efficiency savings required.

So that’s that then.