Allister blasts Police Ombudsman overspend
16 August 2006
DUP Euro MP, Jim Allister, has questioned why the Police Ombudsman’s Office is exempt from the financial stringency so vigorously applied to education and health boards.
Commenting on their recently published Annual Report and Accounts, Mr Allister noted that in 2005/06, as in 2004/05, there had been a 10% overspend, with a deficit of income over operating expenditure of £714,896.
Mr Allister said:-
“If an education or health board overshoots its budget by 10% then, there is aggressive ministerial involvement and swingeing cutbacks, but when the Police Ombudsman’s Office is profligate, nothing happens. Why?
One of the prime contributors to waste in the Ombudsman’s Office is excessive reliance on seconded staff from GB. Over a quarter of complaints and investigation staff are seconded (24 out of 89), with the pro rata cost being twice that of locally recruited staff. The Annual Report shows that the average salary cost of directly employed staff is £27,902 pa, but the average salary of seconded staff is £55,540 pa (Tables 4.1 and 4.2 in Notes to Accounts). By persisting in engaging seconded investigators at preferential rates, the Ombudsman’s Office is wasting public money and overspending its budget with impunity.
I believe this Office should b no less stringently controlled that the providers of vital public services in Northern Ireland and, therefore, I call on the Secretary of State to get a grip on the situation.”
