Since the 1980s the idea that state expenditure is a popular concern—the notion of “taxpayers’ money”—has taken hold. Yet a more precious resource is treated carelessly: the working hours of ministers and civil servants
HAT IS AN hour of Rishi Sunak’s time worth? Officially, no more than £40 , based on his £167,000 salary and the fact, say colleagues, that he works at least 80 hours each week. But the prime minister evidently values his attention more highly. He has a taste for air travel: a helicopter to Southampton on May 9th, and a jet to Aberdeenshire on July 31st. His critics would prefer he take the, since such aircraft cost a lot to charter and they spew carbon. Mr Sunak is unapologetic.
For it is the control of time, as well as money, that makes the private sector efficient. Minions at, say, a big consultancy file time sheets, giving bosses a granular picture of what the firm is working on, its value, and where the slack and pinch points lie. Budgets may still be met, but the failure to fully quantify how time is used means that the opportunity cost of pursuing new policies over old ones is often neglected. The resulting misallocation of capacity can be vast, and the cause of many recurrent problems.
Scrutinise time, rather than budget lines, and schemes that appear harmless are exposed as drains. Ministers demand “announceables”: cheap and eye-catching initiatives, that are invariably the proper domain of local government. In July, Rebecca Pow, an environment minister, boasted that her department’s Chewing Gum Task Force—funded by gum makers and run by a charity—had disbursed £1.2m to 53 councils, enabling 2.5 square kilometres of pavement to be cleaned.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Elle Edwards' killer spent almost £75,000 of taxpayers cash on lawyersConnor Chapman had racked up a number of convictions for which he received legal aid before his brutal murder of beautician Elle
Lire la suite »
The U.S. World Cup Campaign Ends In Historic DisappointmentThe USWNT is out of the World Cup at the earliest stage in history.
Lire la suite »
Fernando Alonso delivers ‘first step’ warning to rivals of stuttering Aston MartinFernando Alonso has hinted at Aston Martin resurgence in the second half of the F1 2023 season after a rollercoaster start to the campaign.
Lire la suite »
Climate activists claim responsibility for disrupting Cycling World Championships'The fact that INEOS has been allowed to sponsor a team in the race around the Campsie Fells - which were engulfed in wildfires last month - is a disgrace'
Lire la suite »
Eco protestors who disrupted cycling race branded 'selfish' and 'childish'Eco-protestors who disrupted the elite men’s road race for almost an hour have been blasted for their “childish” stunt
Lire la suite »
West Ham trolled by Bayer Leverkusen after heavy defeat in final pre-season gameWest Ham ended their pre-season campaign with an embarrassing defeat, and Bayer Leverkusen couldn’t resist rubbing salt into the wounds. The German club trolled their English opponents, asking ‘Are…
Lire la suite »