Dear Treasury,

Under the Official Information Act, please provide the following information:

In the Minister of Finance's 2024 pre-Budget speech, she indicated that proposed tax cuts would not add to net core crown debt as a result of cost savings. Can you please advise, in relation to the modeling and calculations used to produce the estimates of cost savings noted in her speech:

1) Was the reduction in public sector permanent staff headcount included in the estimated cost savings? If so, what was the total the estimated savings from this reduction? If not, why not?

2) Was the cost of redundancy payments to public sector staff factored into the modeling of cost savings? If so, what is the estimated cost? If not, why not?

3) Was any anticipated change in the total gross cost of contractors and consultants to the public sector factored into the modeling of cost savings? If so, what is the estimated change? If not, why not?

4) What time horizons were modelled for, and were changes to public sector headcount and contractor and consultant spend factored in at different time horizons? If so, what is the estimated amount for each, at each time horizon? If not, why not?

5) Please provide a copy of any briefings, reports, and documents provided to the Minister of Finance's office that specifically reference:
- Estimated cost-saving amounts and sources;
- Uncertainty in estimates and trade-offs of cost-savings

Yours faithfully,

Mr Roe