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ITEM EX5 - ANNEX E

EXECUTIVE – 19 MARCH 2002

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT

FORMER CULTURAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

Report by Director for Business Support & County Treasurer and Director for Cultural Services

 

Introduction

  1. This report shows the 2001/02 budget for the former Cultural Services Committee, together with the projected year end variation based on the latest information available (Annex 1). (download as .rtf file)

  2. The balance brought forward from 2000/01 (column 10) is provisional until the accounts have been signed off.

    3. Virements and Supplementary Estimates (Annex 1, Column 5)

  3. An inter-committee virement of £30,400 has been processed in relation to the carry forward of non-delegated repair and maintenance budgets from 2000/01. In addition three supplementary estimates have been granted to this Committee to date. As previously reported, Strategy & Resources Committee on 10 April 2001 granted a supplementary estimate of £10,000 for Tourism strategy and support in relation to the Foot and Mouth crisis.

  4. Furthermore, Strategy & Resources Committee on 26 June 2001 granted a supplementary estimate of £35,000 to improve security at Cogges Manor Farm and £31,000 to contribute towards the additional cost of the APT&C pay award and Chief Officers pay award. The APT&C pay award was settled at 3.5%, which was 0.5% greater than provided for in the 2001/02 Medium Term Financial Plan. Strategy & Resources Committee confirmed that 50% of the additional costs of both awards in 2001/02 would be funded by a supplementary estimate, leaving the remaining 50% to be met from within committee budgets. Management action has been taken to accommodate the pressure relating to pay awards within existing resources. In future years it is planned to provide full budget provision for the implications of these awards.

    Annex 2 (download as .rtf file)

    5. Main Issues

  5. Currently the former Committee is projecting a variation against budget (£162,000 slippage of expenditure), £40,000 relates to the impact of Foot and Mouth disease, £94,000 relates to New Library Book Issuing System (both indicated below) and £28,000 in relation to the retroconversion programme being undertaken by the Record’s Management Unit. This programme is being funded from the previous financial year carry forward and is due to be completed during 2003. Additionally, there are a number of other issues that are continuing to be reviewed.

  6. The replacement of the computerised book issuing system is linked to other issues. These include developments relating to the People’s Network, Oxfordshire Community Network, replacement of the County’s Management Information System and the Central Library rewiring in Phase II of the repairs. Consequently the award of the contract for the book issuing system will not take place during the 2001/02 financial year. The phasing of the project is presently being re-assessed in conjunction with an overall review of ICT within Cultural Services to enable a longer term strategic plan for the provision on ICT for the whole department. The review will identify available resources and ensure that these are matched to future spending priorities. Any re-phasing of the system replacement will also be linked to recommendations from the Best Value Review of the Library Service.

  7. The programme for public rights of way maintenance has been severely disrupted by the Foot & Mouth crisis. Although the network was reopened on 9 June, work continued to be affected for much of the rest of the month. In effect, therefore, the service was unable to carry out maintenance work during the first quarter of the year. In addition, there was a carry forward of work not achieved in 2000/01 because the crisis started in February. Favourable weather conditions have meant that the rights of way maintenance programme has partially caught up on some of the backlog of work and the best estimate at present is a carry forward of a projected underspend of £40,000, for work delayed until 2002/03. However, management action will continue to be taken to reduce this as far as possible, subject to weather conditions.

  8. The Museums Service budget has been closely monitored throughout the year, as an overspend was indicated in the Provisional Revenue Outturn Report. This, however, predominantly relates to projects that span more than one financial year, and for which external funding will be credited to the Service at the end of the projects, in recognition of management and administrative support etc. If a longer-term budget issue is identified this will be reported in a subsequent Updated Financial Report.

    9. Government Grant Funding (Annex 3) (download as. rtf file)

  9. Details of specific grants received by the former Cultural Services Committee are included in Annex 3 and summarised below.

    10.  

    £’000

    % of gross budget

    Specific grants received in 2001/02

    		   

    -Continuing

    302

    2.4

    -New

    879

    6.8

    Total

    1,181

    9.2

    Council funding required to attract grant

    223

    1.7

    Financial, Staff and Environmental Implications and Implications for People Living in Poverty

  10. The report is solely concerned with finance. There are no environmental or staff or implications for people living in poverty arising directly from the report.

    11. RECOMMENDATIONS

  11. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to receive the report

CHRIS GRAY
Director for Business Support & County Treasurer

RICHARD MUNRO
Director for Cultural Services

Background Papers: nil

Contact Officers: Neill Butler, Management Accountant Tel: (01865) 815201

February 2002

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