"We can't scrap the TTS department" - TTS Minister

Friday 27 November 2015

The idea of scrapping the TTS department completely has been ruled out – but some functions are likely to be handed over to the private sector in the coming months and years.

That’s the response of Transport Minister Eddie Noel to the recommendation in a cost-cutting report that his department should “outsource all of its activities as soon as possible”.

Deputy Noel confirmed that ministers had been discussing the future of his department at a Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday.

The plans are a key part of the ministerial programme to cut States expenditure to meet the looming £145 million deficit, and the final programme is set to be agreed in the coming months ahead of a debate in the States in June.

But the Deputy has ruled out following the recommendation from departed cost-cutting adviser Kevin Keen that the department should be shut down.

He said: “There are some parts that we could possibly outsource and we are doing a piece of work on that what can feasibly be done.

“But there are certainly some areas that will not be outsourced.

“We do need to look at ways of doing things differently and more efficiently to drive through the changes that we need throughout the public sector, not just at TTS.”

And he added that the proposals put forward by Mr Keen – who advocated focussing on the 36% of the pay budget that went on civil servants, not just the 9% that went to manual workers – were inconsistent.

“He can’t be saying on one hand outsource everything and then saying to leave manual workers alone,” said Deputy Noel.