Government Plan 2023-26 Review - Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

​The Government Plan seeks to bring together public income and spending against the context of the stated strategic priorities of Government. It is a rolling four-year plan but is brought back and updated each year to take account of changes in the Island's economic outlook.

The Government Plan 2023 -26 is scheduled for debate on 13th December 2022.

Details of the plan include:

• Estimated income and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund
• Amounts to be internally transferred between States Funds
• Any other proposed financing
  
• Major Projects and their proposed costs
• Estimated income and expenditure from States trading operations to be paid into the States Trading Operations Fund
• Amounts to be appropriated from the Consolidated and States Trading Operations Fund for the next financial year
• Estimated amounts in States funds at the start and finish of each financial year
• Borrowing and Debt Management Frameworks

Key Issues:

• Will the Government Plan meet the requirements of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019?
• Is the Government Plan fiscally sound and economically sustainable?
• Does the Government Plan follow the advice of the Fiscal Policy Panel and Income Forecasting Group?
•  What is the impact of the Government Plan proposals on departmental budgets and staffing levels?
• Does the Government Plan align with the objectives of the Common Strategic Policy and aims of the Ministerial Plans? 
• Are the proposed Programmes and Projects appropriate and deliverable within the specified timeframe?
• Are the resources allocated to Programmes and Projects sufficient and the best use of public funds? 

Each Scrutiny Panel has been allocated various revenue programmes and capital projects specific to its remit included in the Government Plan 2023. The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel will also review any overarching themes within the Government Plan 2023. For a list of programmes and projects allocated to the Corporate Services Panel, please see the document published below under Research.

Report Published

1.         To review components of the Government Plan 2023-2026 Proposition [P.97/2022] which are relevant to the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel to determine the following:

• The impact of the Government Plan proposals on departmental budgets, savings and staffing levels.
• Whether the proposed additional revenue programmes and capital projects are appropriate and likely to have a positive impact on Islanders and Island life.
• How the proposed additional revenue programmes and capital projects align with the Common Strategic Policy and the aims and objectives of the Ministerial Plans.
• Whether the resources allocated to additional revenue programmes and capital projects (including major projects) are sufficient, ensure value for money and are best use of public funds.

2.         To assess the expected impact on the ongoing delivery of public services, by Minister, through rebalancing of Government finances.

Budget

• To examine income raising, borrowing and debt management proposals
• To explore how spending will be funded
• To clarify how States expenditure has materially evolved 
• To ascertain individual departmental budgets and their feasibility based on future spending
• To examine the deliverability of capital projects
• To consider rebalancing and borrowing plans being sufficient or excessive to meet stated aims.

Financial, economic and growth forecasts

• To examine the levels of income against expenditure
• To examine the assumptions made for the economic forecasts
• To explore the impact of the financial and economic forecasts in Government Plan 2023 on the Stabilisation Fund
• To explore the continued impact of Covid-19 on the 'financial envelope'
  

Design and implementation of the Government Plan

• To assess reserves; their use, and how they are allocated
• To consider how the treatment of contingencies/reserves, or any other areas of non-routine proposals have evolved in respect of the Government Plan
• To consider the overall fiscal soundness of the Government Plan