The Scottish Government's efficiency savings drive is to have an impact on the National Galleries of Scotland's purchases of new modern and contemporary art, it was revealed last night.

Plans published by Finance Secretary John Swinney have explained how £1.6bn in savings will be made across the public sector in the next three years. These efficiency savings include the running of the National Galleries of Scotland, which is funded by the government.

In February this year, the government gave £10m towards the acquisition of the huge d'Offay collection of modern and contemporary art, a vast and important collection which is worth more than £100m but was bought for the nation for £26.5m.

Because of this, the government now says that the galleries' £1.26m acquisition grant can now be "allocated to other priorities within the galleries".

Sources within the galleries last night reacted with some confusion to the efficiency document.

It is understood that the galleries were not aware of the wording of the report.

Last night the National Galleries said the £1.26m grant is still ring-fenced' for acquisitions only, including modern and contemporary art, and senior figures are not clear what the phrase "other priorities" means.

A spokeswoman said: "As far as we are concerned, the acquisition fund is ring fenced for acquisitions for all the galleries.

"However, the acquisition of the d'Offay collection alleviates the need to acquire modern and contemporary art at the moment, and it can be used for other acquisition priorities."

The Efficiency Delivery Plans documents, published by the government on Tuesday, state: "The d'Offay purchase filled a major gap in the National Galleries of Scotland's Collection (modern/ contemporary art) which they might otherwise have expected to use their annual £1.3m purchase grant to fill.

"There is, therefore, a reoccurring efficiency of £1.3m derived from the d'Offay acquisition as their purchase grant can be allocated to other priorities within the galleries.

"This has been discussed and agreed with the Efficient Government team though discussions are ongoing with a view to articulating further, greater efficiencies relating to the acquisition itself."

The galleries have previously made significant contemporary purchases using its acquisition funds.

For example, it bought the centrepiece of one of Scotland's most popular recent art shows, a massive baby sculpture created by the Australian artist Ron Mueck, for £400,000.

In total, the galleries receive £11.65m a year from the Scottish Government in direct funding, of which the acquisition fund is part.

Other suggested cost savings in the report for the National Galleries suggest a "reduced head count" for security staff arising from "more efficient shift patterns".

It also says that the galleries should pursue sponsorship and other "self generated income".

The question of acquisition funds will cause consternation in some parts of the National Galleries.

In a recent interview with The Herald, Simon Groom, the new director of modern and contemporary art, said that the galleries' acquisition funds needed, if anything, to be upgraded.

"One of the main challenges to me is to increase the amount of money we have at the moment for the collection," he said.

"At the moment it is pitiful, for a national gallery, in terms of how much money we have to build a collection for the nation.

"We are a national gallery, we are collecting for the nation."