Written Statement - Invest-to-Save Funding

I am announcing today that I have approved investment of over £11million for new public service improvement projects under the latest round of the Invest-to-Save Fund.  

The latest Invest-to-Save funding package will support innovative projects that transform service delivery and lead to significant efficiency savings.  The package includes investments totalling £5.148million for five projects from the HHS, local government and Natural Resources Wales and, £5.92million funding announced with the Minister for Local Government and Communities to establish the National Procurement Service for Wales. The total allocation of funding during Round VII of the Invest-to-Save fund amounts to £11.068million.  

Allocations from the Fund include:

• £5,920,000 to pump-prime the new National Procurement Service;
• £3,750,000 for Natural Resources Wales to support the reconfiguration of the workforce following the merger of the environment organisations, 
• £698,000 towards Flintshire County Council’s “Flintshire Connects” programme that will improve citizens’ access to Council and other public sector and voluntary services in Flint and Connah’s Quay;  
• £354,000 to support the Aneurin Bevan Health Board with the introduction of laundry linen tracking arrangements to reduce losses; 
• £256,000 to assist Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board implement staff e-rostering arrangements, and extending the innovative approach to medical workforce; and, 
• £90,000 towards establishing collaborative local government farm estate shared services.

The Invest-to-Save Fund supports organisations involved in public service delivery, to make the transition to more efficient, more effective and more sustainable forms of service delivery.  Collectively, these projects are projecting recurrent efficiency savings of over £24million by 2015-16.

All projects, capture and share  their learning and expertise.  I am particularly pleased to note that in developing their bid proposals, Flintshire County Council has sought advice from an existing, similar Invest-to-Save project at Newport – the One Newport Information Station.  Furthermore, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s staff e-rostering project will be part of wider piloting arrangements of this innovative approach where I have already supported initiatives at Aneurin Bevan and Hywel Dda Health Boards.