'Widescale reform' of Budget process underway says treasury minister

Financial plans from departments 'unnecessary' after move to quarterly reports

The treasury minister says asking government departments for financial plans ahead of this year's Budget seemed 'unnecessary' following changes to how the process is staged.

Alex Allinson says monthly 'scrutiny panel sessions' were pencilled in for this year so his department could have tighter control over where savings could be made.

He says his department worked 'month by month, going through the individual spending patterns of departments, looking for where efficiency savings [and] productivity savings could be made, and working with them to deal with anticipated overspends'.

The change in approach was implemented after the 2024-25 Budget which Dr Allinson says was 'extremely difficult with significant overspends across the whole range of departments'.

The fact Treasury has not received departmental financial plans was revealed as part of an answer to a Tynwald question.

Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas had asked 'on what dates the government department, board and office financial plans for 2024/25 and 2025/26 were received; and when these were, or will be, published'.

The answer from Treasury stated: "Each government department publishes its annual plan which includes financial information and this is debated by Tynwald. 

"As part of the 2025/26 Budget process the government departments, board and offices were not requested to provide financial plans and as such there were none received nor published."

Taking to social media Onchan MHK Julie Edge questioned 'where is the good governance, transparency, and fiscal responsibility?'

She told Manx Radio the change in policy comes as a surprise and is a 'significant change':

But Minister Allinson told Manx Radio his department has moved towards quarterly management accounts and is trying to work with other departments to ensure they come in under Budget come February: