Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, upon notice, on 4 November 2011:

In regard to the department's Portfolio Budget Statements 2011-2012 (Budget related paper no.1.10):

(1) Given that the department is working with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to evaluate the Council of Australian Governments' Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership (IECD NP) (PBSs p. 249):

(a) what resources has the department committed to this, including how many staff and what level;

(b) what will be the total cost of the evaluation; and

(c) how much will be borne by the department.

(2) Given that the department will monitor the implementation of elements two and three of the IECD NP (PBSs p. 249):

(a) what activities will the department undertake as part of monitoring implementation, and how many staff will be required and what level.

(b) will the department make any additional financial contribution to the implementation of the IECD NP; and

(c) what is the predicted cost for the department of monitoring the implementation of IECD NP.

(3) Given that Program 8.1 (PBSs p. 251) is linked to:

(Outcome 1)

can details be provided for each of these programs on:

(a) the number of departmental staff that work on these programs/projects, by level and amount of time on an annual basis (full-time or part thereof), and if these programs/projects have not yet commenced what is the anticipated staffing contribution;

(b) any financial contributions made by the department to these programs/projects;

(c) the total cost of the department's contribution to these programs/projects including in-kind contributions; and

(d) the nature of the department's involvement, for example, policy advice, provision of expertise.

(4) What portfolio agency programs does the department fund through a purchaser/provider arrangement in the 2011-12 financial year; and can details be provided for each program, including the program, agency and amount on a yearly basis (including projected expenditure over the forward estimates).

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Indigenous Health has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) The Department has three staff working on the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership (IECD NP); a small proportion of this staff time is directed to the evaluation. No single staff member works exclusively on the IECD NP evaluation.

(b) Total cost of the evaluation is expected to be $1.2 million.

(c) The Department of Health and Ageing will contribute a total of $500,000 to the evaluation.

(2) (a) The Department works closely with other agencies and jurisdictions to ensure appropriate assessment and understanding of the program's delivery and progress.

(b) No additional financial contribution is expected to be made to the implementation of the IECD NP.

(c) The Department anticipates staff costs will be the only costs incurred for monitoring the implementation of the IECD NP.

(3) See answers 1 and 2 above. In addition, the Department works closely with other agencies to ensure policy alignment

(4) The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) receives some funding through purchase provider arrangements. The AIHW charges the Department for the collection and reporting of health and welfare related data. In the 2011-12 Budget, fee revenue from the Department was estimated to be $18.7m in 2011-12, with similar amounts anticipated over the forward estimate years. The revenues relate to AIHW's program 1.1 'Develop, collect, analyse and report high quality national health and welfare information and statistics for governments and the community'.