THE States say that they are on course to save £32 million by cutting services and improving efficiency.

But anyone who believes that the savings might be reflected in personal tax bills is wrong.

All the money being saved will be ploughed back into maintaining and improving ‘front-line’ core services.

The price to pay for more teachers, doctors and nurses will be reduced grants to the arts and sport and cuts in ‘service’ departments such as Tourism and Planning.

The effects are already being felt in the street cleaning programme, the provision of sports facilities and support for the British-Irish Council.

Policy and Resources and Finance and Economics say that their spending plans released today prove how determined they are to make the cuts that people are calling for while maintaining high-quality social services.

A total of £20 million will be saved between now and 2008 by improving efficiency and reducing waste, and a further £12 million will be found by cutting States services in areas seen as non-essential.