Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2013/174

Contact: Stephanie Skivington, Corporate Finance Manager Tel: (01865) 323995

Report by Chief Finance Officer (CA6 ).

This report focuses on the delivery of the Directorate Business Strategies which were agreed as part of the Service and Resource Planning Process for 2013/14 – 2016/17. Parts 1 and 2 include projections for revenue, reserves and balances as at the end of February 2014, and also an update on grant funding for the costs of the recent flooding.  Capital Programme monitoring is included at Part 3.  Part 4 sets out requests for changes to 2014/15 Fees and Charges and the Contributions in Adult Social Care Policy.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)             note the report;

(b)            note the 2013/14 virements set out in Annex 2d;

(c)             approve the 2014/15 virement requests set out in Annex 8; and

(d)            RECOMMEND Council to approve the requests to move additional non – Pool Mental Health expenditure into the Pool and to approve the use of £2.000m of the Public Health Grant Funding to support the Capital Programme in 2014/15 as set out in paragraph 49 and Annex 8;

(e)             approve the debt write off set out in paragraph 53;

(f)              note the updated Treasury Management lending list at Annex 4;

(g)            note the changes to the Capital Programme set out in Annex 7c;

(h)            approve the changes to Fees & Charges and the Contributions in Adult Social Care Policy as set out in Annex 9.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report that focused on the delivery of the Directorate Business Strategies which were agreed as part of the Service and Resource Planning Process for 2013/14 – 2016/17. Parts 1 and 2 included projections for revenue, reserves and balances as at the end of February 2014, and also an update on grant funding for the costs of the recent flooding. Capital Programme monitoring was included at Part 3. Part 4 set out requests for changes to 2014/15 Fees and Charges and the Contributions in Adult Social Care Policy.

Councillor Hards referred to the useful overview provided by the summary on page 13 and commented that it would be helpful if public health information could be included. Referring to the savings as a result of staff vacancies he sought assurances that the impact on services would be monitored. Referring to the extra funding to deal with the impact of flooding he expressed concern that with only a limited number of experts in the field we would not be able to get the right people. He highlighted the one off funding for the Thriving families programme and looked forward to seeing how it progressed.

The Leader, responding, paid tribute to the Thriving Families Team who had done a terrific job which had been recognised by central government. Councillor Tilley, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families commented that the Thriving Families programme was very much valued and every effort would be made to keep it going.

Councillor Fatemian, responding, thanked Councillor Hards for his comments. He recognised that the hiring freeze put a possible pressure on staff but felt that overall there was an effort to ensure that they were not under undue pressure. Where there were issues they were picked up and he paid tribute to staff who worked to targets and were delivering the budget.

RESOLVED:           to:

(a)                note the report;

(b)                note the 2013/14 virements set out in Annex 2d;

(c)                approve the 2014/15 virement requests set out in Annex 8; and

(d)                RECOMMEND Council to approve the requests to move additional non – Pool Mental Health expenditure into the Pool and to approve the use of £2.000m of the Public Health Grant Funding to support the Capital Programme in 2014/15 as set out in paragraph 49 and Annex 8;

(e)                approve the debt write off set out in paragraph 53;

(f)                 note the updated Treasury Management lending list at Annex 4;

(g)                note the changes to the Capital Programme set out in Annex 7c;

(h)                approve the changes to Fees & Charges and the Contributions in Adult Social Care Policy as set out in Annex 9.