Government departments, boards and offices have not been asked to provide financial plans ahead of the next Budget.

It’s part of moves to reform that Budget process and try to prevent department overspends.

For the first time this year, Treasury have been publishing quarterly management accounts of all departments.

The first of those accounts, published in October and covering the first three months of the current financial year, revealed that four government departments were forecasting overspends - Education, Sport and Culture, Infrastructure, Enterprise and Health and Social Care.

But Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson said the following regular scrutiny panels led by Treasury, all but Manx Care have been brought back into balance.

Despite announcing a series of cost-saving measures in October, Manx Care is currently predicting a year-end deficit of £15m. Further measures including the temporary suspension of non-urgent elective surgery was announced last week.

Dr Allinson said the new system appeared to be working.

He said: ‘It became quite clear that despite £43m of supplementary bids included as part of the 2024 Budget several departments were already forecasting another overspend.

‘Treasury took the action of regular scrutiny panels to help them devise ways of getting back to balance and this has been very successful with now only Manx Care forecasting an overspend.

‘Because of the tight finances departments were told not to come forward with ambitious spending plans but to look for efficiencies and improvements to productivity so that they could stick to their Budgets.

‘They were asked only to submit revenue bids if they were urgent and critical. These were then discussed by the Treasury board.’

He added: ‘All department Ministers and members have had face to face meetings with Treasury to discuss their spending this year and financial plans for 2025-26 but will be encouraged and supported to come in on budget.’