Spend against plan closed the quarter 4.1% under, driven almost entirely by a single deferred software renewal rather than by any change in operating pattern.
Excluding that renewal, the position is 0.6% over, which is inside tolerance and consistent with the previous two quarters.
Actual Plan
June is the outlier. The case-management renewal1 was expected on 12 June and has slipped to the following quarter following a procurement query.
Legal opinion costs rose 31% on the previous quarter,2 concentrated in two listed-consent cases. This is expected to be non-recurring.