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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Thursday, 24 June 2004) . . Page.. 2771 ..

increased costs for insurance. From 2002-03 the cost of the Mental Health Policy Unit was included. The overhead component of the cost reported for Mental Health is also impacted on by the factors listed above. Overheads relate to costs that are not directly attributed to an Output Class (these include human resources, information technology support, financial services, supply and the executive).

(b) The cost per 1000 head of population is calculated annually and is based on the cost as determined through the budget process referred to in (a) divided by the population figure advised for the relevant year.

(2) (a) The restructure of the financial reporting in 2003-04 meant the inclusion of employee provisions of $0.473M.

(b) Changes in corporate overheads for the 2003–2004 budget relates primarily to the restructuring of ACT Health and recognizing the costs of support services including human resources, information technology support, finance services, supply and executive support. The cost of overheads reported for Mental Health increased by $0.686m.

(c) In the 2002-03 financial year the Mental Health Policy Unit was incorporated into Output Class 1.2 (Mental Health Services). Previously, these costs were included in the Policy, Planning and Purchasing Output Class. The impact in 2003-04 of the inclusion of the Mental Health Policy Unit was approximately $0.382m.

(d) There are no other costs that have been transferred to Output Class 1.2 (Mental Health Services)

Mental health—services
(Question No 1462)

Mr Smyth asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 1 April 2004:

What are the differences in the data or the cost components relating to A.C.T. Government funding for mental health services published in the (a) forward estimates of each relevant A.C.T. budget, (b) results reported in each relevant annual report by A.C.T. Government health agencies, (c) Productivity Commission’s annual report on Government Services series and (d) National Mental Health Report, that would explain the differences between the annual spending reported by each of those publications.

Mr Corbell: The answer to the member’s question is:

(a) The forward estimates of each relevant ACT budget are the projected costs for providing mental health services in that financial year. The increases generally in each year reflect the provision of additional funding for budget initiatives, indexation and salary increases. These estimates also include a component of other functions of the Department. These include an estimate for payroll services, information technology support, financial services, supply and executive support

(b) The cost results reported in the annual report are the outcomes in that financial year. These figures invariably differ from the estimates due to various factors during the year including costs associated with staff turnover, changed referral patterns for clients, decisions of government (for example salary increases) and timing issues (for example

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