This Government are committed to improving the delivery of public services and ensuring maximum value for money for the taxpayer. The 2004 spending review set a target for achieving annual efficiency gains of £21 billion by 2007-08. Against that ambition, Departments and local authorities already reported annual efficiency gains worth over £15 billion by the end of 2006. That will, in fact, lead to £26 billion a year for front-line services by 2010-11. My Department is, of course, subject to the same efficiency targets as other Departments.
With inflation, interest rates, debt and unemployment all on the rise, that is exactly what the right hon. Gentleman is doing with the British taxpayer’s money. Will he explain to the House how his Department’s budget was increased by a third in March, already having been increased last November, in spite of the fact that he has lost most of ministerial responsibilities?
The hon. Gentleman uses propaganda by saying that unemployment is increasing in this country. There are now over 2 million more people in work, which is something that we are quite proud of. He talks about an increase in my Department’s expenditure, but that was an auditor’s requirement, not extra departmental expenditure, as I explained to the House last time I answered questions. The hon. Gentleman seems to be concerned about Government efficiency, but he was proud to advocate the poll tax, which was neither fair to ordinary people, nor efficient for the Government. If he was so proud of the poll tax and the Tory Government, he should have fought the 1997 election on that Government’s record in Basildon, instead of doing a chicken run down to Southend to save his skin.