Finances

Key successes in the quarter

• improving the forecasting and supporting directors to deliver the new Strategy
• quarterly director meetings providing additional insight to align business plans to the budget
• of the +226 forecast FTE, 81 are in the later stages of recruitment or an offer has been made and 111 are in the early stages.

Concerns/risks

• need to avoid large underspend alongside recruitment delays due to the headcount commission. Westminster is forecasting an overspend as we aim to fulfil as many of our SR21 plans as we can, but we expect this to reduce in the coming months
• forecast underspend of £1.7 million on Shared Outcomes Funding (SOF) is from ring-fenced funding and cannot be reallocated to other directorates. As lead partner on the programme, the FSA must also ensure that other partners are managing their budgets effectively. The whole programme is currently forecasting to spend £7 million of its £9 million budget in 2022 to 2023
• Northern Ireland funding is ringfenced and any unused funds will be returned to HM Treasury (HMT)
• ambitious recruitment planned for the last quarter means that 34 of the +226 forecast FTE may move into 2023/24

Next steps

• 2021/22 Annual Report & Accounts planned to be laid in Parliament in November 2022
• Further analysis needed on committed/uncommitted spend in the forecast to minimise underspend
• Medium term financial planning in September and October resulting in decision making for the Supplementary Estimate in November
• Development of the Charging Strategy and planning for 2023 to 2024 charges to begin in quarter 3

Key figures:

• £0.4 million 2022 to 2023 year to date forecast underspend
• £0.2 million priority programme forecast year to date underspend
• 151 + actual Net FSA FTE from quarter 1 2021 to 2022 to quarter 1 2022 to 2023
• 226+ forecast NET FSA FTE from June 2022 to March 2023.

Finances- how we are forecasting to spend our funds in 2022 to 2023

FSA DEL £146.1 million

• Risk assessment and other science: £19.8 million
• Operations excluding NFCU: £29.4 million
• National Food Crime Unit: £5.4 million
• Enabling functions and devolved government: £57.5 million - Northern Ireland £14.6 million, Data/digital £11.1 million, corporate £26.9 million, Wales 4.9 million. 
• Capital: £3.5 million
• Key priorities: £4.6 million
• Surveillance: £1.9 million
• Local Authority support and delivery of official controls: £11 million
• Shared Outcomes Fund: £1.9 million
• International and UK Affairs: £2.2 million
• Risk managements and other policy: £8.9 million