❓ Mr Cook questions a significant difference between the budgeted and actual expenditure for Patient Transport grants in 2015/16. The Minister explains the discrepancy is due to reclassification of expenditure and evolving forecasting methodology, and provides some funding details for St John Ambulance.
AnsweredQoN 5720Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Budget Paper 2, Volume 2, page 143 under Details of Controlled Grants and subsidies, 'Patient Transport,' and ask: (a) why is there such a sharp difference between the 2015/16 budget allocation and the 2015-16 estimated actual expenditure; and (b) what is the source, and can you provide a breakdown of who are the recipients of this funding eg. what level of funding is provided to St Johns Ambulance, and what level of funding is provided to the Royal Flying Doctors, and so forth, etc.?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 September 2016
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
35 days
(a) The apportionment of total Controlled Grants and Subsidies by service (published in 2016-17 Budget Paper 2, Volume 1 on page 340) has been derived by the Department of Health based on the estimated total cost of services and other modelling assumptions. This methodology continues to evolve to achieve refinement of the reporting for Controlled Grants and Subsidies in future Budget Papers and therefore estimates may not be strictly comparable year-by-year.
Total Estimated Actual grant expenditure in 2015-16 is lower than the corresponding budget estimate as a result of reclassification of expenditure during the year from Controlled Grants and Subsidies to other expense categories. This reclassification has in turn resulted in corresponding reductions within the individual service line items, including Patient Transport, as they are derived from the total grant expenditure. The change in grants and subsidies expenditure on Patient Transport between the 2015-16 Budget and Estimated Actual therefore does not reflect an underspend in patient transport.
The 2015-16 estimated actual total Controlled Grants and Subsidies expenditure is estimated to have increased by 2.5 percent relative to the 2014-15 actuals, with a corresponding increase of 2.9 percent in the Patient Transport line item.
(b) As a forecast methodology is used to attribute expenditure, a reconciled service-line position that provides a breakdown of funding or recipients is not available. However, included within the grant expenditure in the 2015-16 estimated actual is an amount of $436,475 that was provided to St John Ambulance Western Australia Limited for the provision of paramedics at the Emergency Departments of Tertiary Adult Hospitals. The Patient Transport line item of Controlled Grants and Subsidies does not include any payments to the Royal Flying Doctors Service in 2015-16.
Total Estimated Actual grant expenditure in 2015-16 is lower than the corresponding budget estimate as a result of reclassification of expenditure during the year from Controlled Grants and Subsidies to other expense categories. This reclassification has in turn resulted in corresponding reductions within the individual service line items, including Patient Transport, as they are derived from the total grant expenditure. The change in grants and subsidies expenditure on Patient Transport between the 2015-16 Budget and Estimated Actual therefore does not reflect an underspend in patient transport.
The 2015-16 estimated actual total Controlled Grants and Subsidies expenditure is estimated to have increased by 2.5 percent relative to the 2014-15 actuals, with a corresponding increase of 2.9 percent in the Patient Transport line item.
(b) As a forecast methodology is used to attribute expenditure, a reconciled service-line position that provides a breakdown of funding or recipients is not available. However, included within the grant expenditure in the 2015-16 estimated actual is an amount of $436,475 that was provided to St John Ambulance Western Australia Limited for the provision of paramedics at the Emergency Departments of Tertiary Adult Hospitals. The Patient Transport line item of Controlled Grants and Subsidies does not include any payments to the Royal Flying Doctors Service in 2015-16.
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