Just £4.2m of savings have been delivered by government through its efficiency programme, according to one of several end-of-term reports published this week.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan set a target in September 2024 for the civil service to identify £10m in efficiencies and savings in the first year, rising to at least £50m over five years.

However, an annual report on the programme confirms that by the end of 2025-26, savings of just over £4.2m had been realised from a total of £15.8m identified.

Of the £4,267,172 recorded, £706,000 related to property sales, which some may argue should not be counted as a saving.

The reduction in rates payments resulting from those sales, including the disposal of Heathfield Drive in Peel, amounted to £6,031.

In a foreword to the report, the Chief Minister said the realised savings equate to more than £10m over five years on a recurring basis - one fifth of the programme's overall target.

He said the challenge set for the civil service reflected ‘the reality our Island is facing’.

Mr Cannan said the savings had been achieved alongside more than £9.9m in cost pressures, including below-inflation departmental revenue budget increases and pay awards.

He highlighted practical changes introduced over the past year, including more government services being made available online and an estate management project aimed at improving oversight of more than 1,400 properties.

At the outset of the programme, up to £5m was allocated as upfront investment to secure longer-term savings.

Also published was the latest report on the size of the public service workforce.

This showed the total workforce increased by 53.08 full-time equivalent posts between January and March this year - a rise of 0.67%.

The largest increase was again within Manx Care, reflecting the continued focus on strengthening frontline healthcare services.

As the Cannan administration nears its conclusion, government has also published its final Island Plan outlining what it says has been achieved.

In his foreword, Mr Cannan said his administration had remained focused and ‘kept delivering’.

More than 1,500 homes have been approved since 2021, more than £100m invested in health services and there are now 1,400 more people in employment.

The ambition to grow the population fell short, however. The target was for more than 2,500 additional residents, but net population growth between the 2021 Census and the first quarter of 2025 was 906.

Mr Cannan accepted his government had not completed everything it set out to achieve.

However, he said: ‘I am confident this island is safer, better connected and more prosperous than it was in 2021.’

He added: ‘It has been a privilege to serve as Chief Minister of the Isle of Man. I want to thank every colleague in government, the civil service and the community who made this work possible.

‘This has been a team effort, and the Isle of Man is stronger for it.’