John
08-31-2010, 08:18 AM
The Government is refusing to comment on reports that Chancellor George Osborne plans to slash staff numbers at the Treasury by a quarter.
Mr Osborne wants to reduce jobs at the Treasury from 1,350 to 1,000 by a process of "natural attrition" over the next four years, according to the Financial Times.
The paper said the Chancellor will seek to lead the way as he reconvened the public spending "star chamber" which is looking at making savings in departmental budgets across Whitehall.
Mr Osborne is understood to want to draw a line under the "empire-building" of Gordon Brown's period as Chancellor by focusing the Treasury more tightly on its core responsibilities.
Under Mr Brown, the Treasury extended its interests throughout Government by taking policy initiatives in areas ranging from health to international development.
An unnamed colleague of Mr Osborne told the FT: "We are going to focus on our core responsibilities as an economics and finance ministry.
"That means a focus on spending control and macro analysis. We will not always be trying to second-guess what other departments do."
Mr Osborne was also reported to be planning to shrink the Treasury's financial services function on the grounds that the critical phase of the banking meltdown is now over.
The FT said that Mr Osborne - who has asked most Cabinet ministers to identify spending cuts of between 25% and 40% in their departments - wants to wrap up settlements in some ministries within weeks.
Budgets for departments including justice, transport, environment and culture could be agreed by mid-September, said the paper.
This would free Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to join the "star chamber" sitting in judgment on other ministers' spending plans.
A Treasury spokesman declined to comment on the FT report.
Source - Yahoo News.
Mr Osborne wants to reduce jobs at the Treasury from 1,350 to 1,000 by a process of "natural attrition" over the next four years, according to the Financial Times.
The paper said the Chancellor will seek to lead the way as he reconvened the public spending "star chamber" which is looking at making savings in departmental budgets across Whitehall.
Mr Osborne is understood to want to draw a line under the "empire-building" of Gordon Brown's period as Chancellor by focusing the Treasury more tightly on its core responsibilities.
Under Mr Brown, the Treasury extended its interests throughout Government by taking policy initiatives in areas ranging from health to international development.
An unnamed colleague of Mr Osborne told the FT: "We are going to focus on our core responsibilities as an economics and finance ministry.
"That means a focus on spending control and macro analysis. We will not always be trying to second-guess what other departments do."
Mr Osborne was also reported to be planning to shrink the Treasury's financial services function on the grounds that the critical phase of the banking meltdown is now over.
The FT said that Mr Osborne - who has asked most Cabinet ministers to identify spending cuts of between 25% and 40% in their departments - wants to wrap up settlements in some ministries within weeks.
Budgets for departments including justice, transport, environment and culture could be agreed by mid-September, said the paper.
This would free Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to join the "star chamber" sitting in judgment on other ministers' spending plans.
A Treasury spokesman declined to comment on the FT report.
Source - Yahoo News.