Public sector workers' Dragons' Den-style challenge to save cash
Chancellor George Osborne is at the heart of a Dragons' Den-style call for ideas on how the country can save money.
He is in the process of writing to all public sector workers asking them for bright ideas which could help with the unglamorous job of making efficiency savings.
Frontline public service workers know how to make savings. That's why I've asked for their views as part of the #SpendingReview.
— George Osborne (@George_Osborne) August 3, 2015
Osborne and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands are writing to workers asking how more can be done for less through a Public Sector Efficiency Challenge.
Tbh, Dragons' Den has a better ring to it.
Today @George_Osborne & I are writing to public sector workers seeking their help in finding savings & improvements https://t.co/Hu6DnwGYiZ
— Greg Hands (@GregHands) August 3, 2015
Teachers, nurses and civil servants, as well as British diplomats and service men and women, will get the emails.
Ideas will be collated via an online survey ahead of this year's Spending Review.
We're helping organise and run an open and innovative #SpendingReview with @hmtreasury asking public workers where we can save money.
— Open Policy Making (@OpenPolicyUK) August 4, 2015
Public sector staff are experts in how to do more with less. The Chancellor is asking them for #spendingreview ideas http://t.co/7Jrlbp2Wk9
— Sir Jeremy Heywood (@HeadUKCivServ) August 3, 2015
Last time around, the call for ideas resulted in the ditching of the plastic national insurance number card and reducing the need for multiple Criminal Records Bureau checks by making greater use of electronic access for employers.
Millions of public sector workers will be invited to send in their ideas via a short online survey which closes on September 4.
The Government said it will have made savings of nearly £100 billion by 2015/16, adding that more needed to be done to ensure Britain runs a surplus for the first time in almost 20 years in 2019/20.
Ministers said the Spending Review, which will be published on November 25, will set out how the Government will invest in public services and deliver £20 billion of savings.
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