Issue - meetings

Report of the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee: Scrutiny Of Post-Consultation Budget Proposals 2023/24 – 2025/26

Cabinet agreed to the recommendations within the report.

Report of the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee: Scrutiny Of The Council’s Proposed Strategic Plan 2023-25

Cabinet agreed to the recommendations within the report.

Report of the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee: Scrutiny Of Post-Consultation Budget Proposals 2023/24 – 2025/26

Councillor Eddie Reeves, Chair of the Committee, introduced the reports.  He summarised the recommendations regarding the need for regular scrutiny of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets and made the following points:-

-        The Committee was keen to work with the Cabinet members for Finance and Corporate Services together with members of the Audit & Governance Committee on monitoring in-year changes to the budget, particularly in view of inflationary pressures

-        Reporting needed to be specific on the changes to individual budget lines

-        In view of the current economic climate, the Committee was keen to be provided with regular monitoring information on Directorate inflation outturn compared to budget targets

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, welcomed the recommendations of the Committee. He explained that improved monitoring information would be made available to Scrutiny committee members in the next financial year and he would attend meetings of the Committee to answer questions as and when required.  With regard to the Capital Programme, he explained two changes to the revenue pipeline and the proposals to strengthen the monitoring of the Capital Programme going forward.

Report of the Performance and Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee: Scrutiny Of The Council’s Proposed Strategic Plan 2023-25

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, responded to the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations.  She explained the objectives and priorities set out in the Council’s strategic plan and referred, in particular, to changes to the objectives that had been introduced for the forthcoming municipal year.

Councillor Phillips moved, Councillor Brighouse seconded and Cabinet agreed to accept the recommendations in the reports.