Home Affairs Department Report for Minister | |
Subject: | Historical Child Abuse Enquiry – Unbudgeted Costs for the Period 1 April - 30 June 2010 |
Date: | 9 July 2010 | | | |
| | |
Author: | Finance Director | |
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to:
(i) advise the Minister of the unbudgeted costs incurred by the Home Affairs Department in respect of the Historical Child Abuse Enquiry (HCAE);
(ii) ask the Minister to request the Minister for Treasury and Resources to transfer funds to the value of £221,500 from the Treasury and Resources Department to the Home Affairs Department in respect of the unbudgeted costs of the HCAE for the period 1 April – 30 June 2010.
Background
2008 Costs
Following the Statement made by the Chief Minister on 26 February 2008 regarding the police investigation into historical child abuse in the Island the States approved amended Proposition P91/2008, Historic Child Abuse Enquiry: Funding, on 8 September 2008. The proposition asked the States to permit the withdrawal of up to an additional £7,500,000 from the consolidated fund to be reallocated for the net revenue expenditure of a number of departments in order to fund the HCAE. The amount of £7.5 million included £4,521,700 in respect of the Home Affairs Department. The unbudgeted costs incurred by the States of Jersey Police in 2008 were £4,521,999.
2009 Costs
The unbudgeted expenditure incurred by the States of Jersey Police in respect of the HCAE for the period 1 January – 31 December 2009 was £2,305,515 compared to the original forecast amount of £2,500,500. Funding was provided through P83/2009, Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005: Funding Requests under Article 11(8), which included £4,250,000 funding for the HCAE of which £2,500,500 was attributable to the Home Affairs Department. The proposition was adopted by the States on 14 July 2009.
Costs and Funding in 2010
Actual Costs to 30 June 2010
As in previous years no provision has been made within the States of Jersey or Home Affairs Department budgets for the unbudgeted costs incurred in respect of the HCAE in 2010. Funding will be provided from the balance of funds held by the Treasury and Resources Department from P91/2008 and P83/2009. As stated in P83/2009 funding will only be made available to departments by public Ministerial Decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on documented evidence of actual additional costs incurred as a result of the Historic Child Abuse Enquiry.
Unbudgeted costs for the period 1 January – 31 March 2010 were received from the Treasury and Resources Department following receipt of Ministerial Decision MD-HA-2010-0004
Unbudgeted costs for the period 1 April 2010 – 30 June 2010 were £221,500 and it is now necessary for the Minister to request reimbursement of these costs as detailed in Table 1 below. The costs include provision for the Acting Deputy Chief Officer of Police as his appointment was required as a result of the Deputy Chief Officer of Police ‘acting up’ following the suspension of the Chief Officer of Police.
Table 1
| Expenditure 1/1/10 – 31/3/10 Reimbursed following MD-HA-2010-0004 | Expenditure 1/4/10 – 30/6/10 | Expenditure 1/1/10 – 30/6/10 | 2010 Full Year Forecast Costs |
| £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 |
Staff | 99.9 | 133.3 | 233.2 | 521.0 |
Other Costs including: Forensics, Travel and Accommodation | 43.3 | 88.2 | 131.5 | 281.0 |
Total | 143.2 | 221.5 | 364.7 | 802.0 |
2010 Forecast Costs
Based on the Resourcing Plan prepared by the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer financial forecasts have been prepared for 2010 and are shown in Table 1 above. The forecasts have been endorsed by the Police Gold Command Group.
Total Costs
The total unbudgeted costs incurred by the States of Jersey Police in respect of the HCAE since its commencement in 2007 to 30 June 2010 are £7,237,100 as detailed in Table 2 below.
Table 2
| 2007 £’000 | 2008 £’000 | 2009 £’000 | 2010 £’000 (1/1 – 30/6) | Total Expenditure £’000 |
| | | | | |
Staff | 18.2 | 1,127.1 | 1,582.8 | 233.2 | 2,961.3 |
Forensics | - | 256.1 | 7.6 | 0.5 | 264.2 |
Travel, Accommodation and Subsistence | 14.2 | 1,044.0 | 556.7 | 136.4 | 1,751.3 |
Other Costs | 12.5 | 2,094.8 | 158.4 | (5.4) | 2,260.3 |
Total | 44.9 | 4,522.0 | 2,305.5 | 364.7 | 7,237.1 |
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Minister:
(i) notes the unbudgeted costs incurred by the Home Affairs Department in respect of the HCAE;
(ii) requests the Minister for Treasury and Resources to transfer funds to the value of £221,500 from the Treasury and Resources Department to the Home Affairs Department in respect of the unbudgeted costs of the HCAE for the period 1 April – 30 June 2010.