Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 18 September 2012:

In regard to the 2012-13 financial year:

(1) What is the net financial effect on the department's budget of: (a) the original 1.5 per cent efficiency dividend; (b) the additional 2.5 per cent efficiency dividend; and (c) other savings measures as introduced in the 2012-13 Budget papers.

(2) What measures or strategies are being considered to ensure continued operation within the budget and efficiency dividend targets of the department.

(3) What percentage of total expenditure is represented by staff costs.

(4) Is a net reduction in: (a) staff; and (b) consultants and/or contractors, expected for the financial year; if so, can a quantitative total for each reduction be provided.

(5) How many: (a) voluntary redundancies; and (b) involuntary redundancies, are expected to be executed.

(6) What is the current distribution of full-time equivalent staff across classification bands.

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

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

(1) The total financial impact for the efficiency dividends on the Department of Health and Ageing operating appropriation for 2012-13 is $22.3 million. The dividend on the departmental capital budget for 2012-13 is $0.9 million.

(2) A program of reforms is being implemented which includes: consolidation of a range of grant programs into larger flexible funds; reform of grants procurement and program funding systems and processes; an enterprise data warehouse system; improving IT Governance; a number of business process improvement projects; establishing a portfolio shared services centre; and capturing administrative savings such as travel costs, recruitment advertising, printing and 'Whole of Government' procurement.

(3) Staff costs represented 74 percent of total expenditure in 2011-12.

(4)( a) No.

(b) The Department is currently reviewing its use of contractors and consultants.

(5) (a) While a small number of staff may leave the Department in 2012-13 with voluntary redundancies it is too early in the year to foretell exactly how many offers might be made or how many staff will elect to accept them.

(b) Nil.

(6) A table detailing staff numbers by classification as at 30 June 2012 is provided on page 315 of the Department's Annual Report 2011-12. These have not changed materially since.