Guernsey States asked to 'save not spend'

A Guernsey politician has asked the island's government to save £1.8m found from efficiency savings instead of funding nine new projects.

The money has been saved as part of the Financial Transformation Programme.

Deputy Martin Storey wants all saving made by the programme to be used to reduce the States overall expenditure.

The States Strategic Plan suggests £1.4m be spent on projects including bowel cancer screening and a restorative justice service.

Deputy Storey said the current States was setting a bad example for those in government in the future.

He said: "Over the first three years of the States Strategic Plan we've saved £5.9m and spent nearly all of it.

"There's a big risk in not getting the increased income that was being forecast and spending too much of the savings that are being made and so not being able to fill that gap in the fiscal pot."

Deputy Storey also wants an annual transfer to the Capital Reserve Fund to cover spending on essential infrastructure.

The Financial Transformation Programme, a five-year project that is due to end in October 2014, has been estimated at delivering a total saving of £31.8m.