8 May 2024
Tēnā koe J Bythell
Official Information Act Request
Thank you for your email of 6 April 2024, requesting information about the
Ministry of Social Development’s (the Ministry’s) financial appropriation for this
financial year, and anticipated costs for redundancies.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Please find my decision to each part of your request set out below.
1. Is your department at risk of overspending its financial appropriation this
year?
Based on current forecast, and subject to Budget 2024 decisions, the Ministry is
not at risk of overspending its financial appropriation this year. Please note that
the Ministry’s Leadership Team monitors the budget, forecast, actual spend and
appropriation monthly, and with an additional quarterly review to make sure
resources are prioritised appropriately.
2. Have you set aside an allowance in this financial year for redundancies or
other costs of restructuring? If so, how much is that allowance? If not, do
you anticipate any costs for these in this financial year?
When setting the Ministry's budget for the 2023/24 year no allowance was
provided for redundancy costs. The Ministry is currently in the middle of a
change process, including voluntary redundancies, which is ongoing. Once we
have completed this process the full cost of any redundancies will be known
including the total cost within the 2023/24 year. Please see our recent public
statement:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
work/newsroom/2024/voluntary-redundancies-confirmed.html
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course. If you wish to discuss this response with us,
please feel free to contac
t [MSD request email].
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802
602.
Ngā mihi
pp.
Magnus O’Neill
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
