The Scottish Executive published a table of cash-releasing efficiency savings, by portfolio, on page 4 of Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government – Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity. Paragraph 24 of thedocument commits the Executive to publishing technical notes on the identified projects to secure £300 million per annum of additional time-releasing efficiencies by April 2005.

The responsibilities of Scottish portfolios differ considerably from UK Government Departments since UK Government Departments are responsible for areas of policy that are reserved to Westminster. Furthermore, we are taking a different approach to our efficiency review. As the responsibilities for the Scottish Executive portfolios and UK Departments are different and we are both taking different approaches to our efficiency review, it would serve no usefulpurpose to draw a direct comparison.

I have already made clear that we will report regularly to the Parliament’s Finance Committee on the progress of Efficient Government. I look forward to discussing further with the committee how this might best be done, though I am not immediately attracted to the suggestion above as I understand it of using the supporting documents to our regular budget revisions.

The aggregate cumulative cash-releasing savings is the total amount of cash releasing efficiency savings that will be made over the three year period, 2005-06 to 2007-08. Therefore, on the basis of the currently confirmed plans, over the three year period, 2005-06 to 2007-08, £1,732 million will be freed up for investment in improving our public services.

The Scottish Executive will ensure transparency in the delivery of efficiency savings.

Paragraph 13 of Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government – Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity states that we will publish technical notes on the plans for cash-releasing savings by March 2005. Paragraph24 states that we will publish technical notes on the plans for time-releasing efficiency savings by April 2005.

Paragraph 48 states that departments and public bodies will be required to develop project plans for Efficient Government projects, which include clear milestones, identified lead and supporting roles, governance arrangements, measures for identifying and tracking benefits, and risk management.

Paragraph 51 states that individual project plans will be built into the Executive’s performance management systems. Departmental plans will set out how Efficient Government will continue to be taken forward across the Scottish public sector, and will include expectations for efficiency gains from each and every public body.

Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government set out the right way forward for Scotland. Gershon also includes a LOOK target for civil service job cuts the Executive does not believe this is the right way to go about this.

The Scottish Executive has not carried out any Scottish-specific analysis on the potential impact on jobs of planned efficiency savings. Once detailed project plans have been prepared for the implementation of Efficient Government projects, it will be possible to assess the impact on jobs.

Proposals in the Executive’s recent consultation on Making Development Plans Deliver include the introduction of a statutory requirement to update development plans within a defined period. A white paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for modernising planning, including measures to speed up development planning, is expected to be published in spring 2005.

The Scottish Executive invited views on its proposals for reform of the development planning system in its consultation paper Making Development Plans Deliver which was published in April 2004. The proposals in the consultation paper were grouped under four key themes, that is more efficient management of the development planning process; more effective consultation and engagement in the preparation of plans; making plans shorter and targeted on key spatial issues; ensuring that plans are aimed at delivering desirable outcomes in terms of improving the environment; protecting what we value and promoting high-quality development. These proposals will all contribute towards securing more efficient operation of the development planning system and the achievement of more satisfactory planning outcomes.

In relation to development control the determination of planning applications takes place within a “plan led” system. That means that development plans (structure and local plans) form the basis of the planning system through setting the framework for land use and development in their areas. In determining planning applications local authorities are required to have regard to whether proposals are consistent with the development plan for the area. The Executive’s proposals to ensure coverage across Scotland of relevant and up to date development plans should therefore help to ensure that decisions on planning applications can be taken more quickly and consistently.

A white paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for modernising planning is expected to be published in spring 2005.

The planning system is based on a plan-led system by which planning authorities are required to make their decisions in accordance with the development plan for the area in question. Through the Making Development Plans Deliver consultation, we are working towards ensuring that development plans are up to date so that decisions can be made quickly and consistently.

The Scottish Executive has proposed a number of specific measures to help speed up the determination of planning applications. These include the introduction of e-planning methods which allow the submission of planning applications online and the standardisation of planning application forms. A white paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for modernising planning, including measures to speed up development control, is expected to be published in spring 2005.

Planning authorities are subject to a number of targets for the processing of planning applications. These are:

(1) 80% of all applications for planning permission (aggregating householder, major and other applications) must be determined within two months.

(2) 85% of all applications for planning permission (aggregating householder, major and other applications) must be determined within three months.

(3) Taking the subset of householder applications as a separate category, 90% of these applications must be determined within two months

(4) Taking the subset of householder applications as a separate category, 95% of these applications must be determined within three months

(5) Taking the subset of major applications as a separate category, 80% of these applications must be determined within four months

The reason that additional targets are applied to the separate category of householder applications is that they are for the most part straightforward and are expected to be processed more quickly. An additional target for major applications is set because they tend to be more complex and may raise controversial or sensitive issues which in turn take longer to determine.

The general targets which apply to all applications therefore take into account the fact that speedier determination of householder applications (which are also more numerous) should balance out slower progress on the major development applications.

The recent consultation on Making Development Plans Deliver sets out a series of options, including financial rewards and penalties, requiring authorities to keep development plans up to date. An analysis of the responses will be published in due course. A white paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for modernising planning, including measures to speed up development planning, is expected to be published in spring 2005.