Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Sector Productivity and Public Spending

Tuesday 14 November 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government shares the goal of spending taxpayer money wisely.
  • Public sector productivity must improve, which is what the review is looking at.
  • The Mayor has addressed these claims regarding Teesworks remediation funding.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alex Cunningham Lab
Economy
Context

The question arises from concerns over the efficiency of government spending and ensuring that taxpayer funds are used effectively.

Question

What steps he is taking to help ensure value for money in public spending. I am concerned about making sure every single pound of taxpayers' money is spent wisely.

Answer from Laura Trott

The Government shares the goal of spending taxpayer money wisely. The previous Chief Secretary to the Treasury launched a public sector productivity programme, and an update will be provided at the autumn statement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or actions were not detailed

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Q2 Marco Longhi
Economy Employment
Context

Public sector productivity has dropped by 7.5% since pre-COVID times, potentially due to a more liberal work-from-home policy.

Question

Estimates show that public sector productivity is now 7.5% less than before covid. Could this be because of continued flexible working arrangements? How much does this affect the taxpayer?

Answer from Laura Trott

Public sector productivity must improve, which is what the review is looking at. I look forward to discussing this with him further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics of remote working impact on productivity were not provided

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Q3 Alex Cunningham Lab
Economy
Context

The taxpayer has spent significant funds on remediation at the Teesworks site. Concerns have been raised about private companies profiting from this.

Question

I welcome the fact that hundreds of millions were spent on remediation at Teesworks, but I am concerned about assets and scrap being transferred to private companies for profit. Is this good value for money?

Answer from Laura Trott

The Mayor has addressed these claims, and I will not comment further on them.

Not addressed: Specific value for money analysis was not provided

How: The Mayor Has Addressed These Claims

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