Agenda and draft minutes

Budget Scrutiny Standing Select Committee, Select Committee Review - Wednesday 27 September 2017 3.00 pm

Venue: Warspite Room, Council House

Contact: Helen Wright/Amelia Boulter  Democratic Support Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

13.

Declarations of Interest

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made by Councillors in accordance with the code of conduct.

14.

Chair's Urgent Business

To receive reports on business, which in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

15.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 81 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 29 March 2017 and 21 June 2017.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 29 March 2017 are confirmed as a correct record and the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2017 are also confirmed as a correct record subject to the inclusion of Councillor Darcy in the attendance section.

16.

Select Committee: Budget and Policy Decisions pdf icon PDF 167 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Darcy (Cabinet Member for Finance and IT), Andrew Hardingham (Interim Strategic Director for Transformation – Finance), Paul Looby (Head of Financial Planning and Reporting) and David Northey (Head of Integrated Finance) presented the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2018/19 and 2020/2021. 

 

Key areas of questioning related to –

 

(a)

how confident Cabinet Members were that the £4.2m budget gap could be addressed through the delivery plans and when the plans would be available;

 

 

(b)

whether provision had been made within the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for inflationary pressures;

 

 

(c)

 

whether ‘other’ incomes were included within the MTFS such as licensing and planning fees;

 

 

(d)

 

concerns regarding whether the 5% working balance was an ideal threshold for an unitary authority of this size and whether it would be adequate for future un-none shortfalls;

 

 

(e)

the lack of information relating to this  year’s budget (including departmental budgets) and details of the impact and risks of these plans;

 

 

(f)

the inclusion of the Council’s reserves (including ring-fenced sums) within the statement of accounts;

 

 

(g)

investigate further opportunities to increase resources relating to the commercialisation of services.

 

(Also present for this item Tracey Lee (Chief Executive), Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People), Ruth Harrell (Director of Public Health) and Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place)).

 

 

17.

Recommendations

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed –

 

(1)

to establish a select committee with increased membership to sit at the end of November 2017;

 

 

 

 

(2)

that the select committee would expect to consider the following, from responsible officers –

 

 

 

 

(a)

broad outline of –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

council wide revenue and capital spending plans to deliver priorities and savings;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Treasury Management;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

capital programme;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Council Tax/affordability and Business Rates;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

budget consultation;

 

 

 

 

 

(b)

detailed consideration of the 2018/19 revenue budget and delivery plans with associated impact and risks of those plans for the following service areas -

 

 

 

                    

 

 

?

Street Scene and Waste Services (to include Parks);

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Highways and Parking Services;

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Adult Health and Social Care/Strategic Commissioning:

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Children and Young People and Families Services;

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

Education Participation and Skills;

 

 

 

 

(3)

recommend to Cabinet to include further information on reserves within the Medium Term Financial Strategy.