Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance & Property

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/091

Contact: Kathy Wilcox, Principal Financial Manager Tel: (01865) 323981

Report by Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer (CA6).

This is the third financial monitoring report for the 2010/11 financial year and covers the period up to the end of August 2010.  Part 1 & 2 set out the Council's forecast position for the 2010/11 financial year and include projections for revenue, balances, and reserves. The capital programme monitoring and update is dealt with at Part 3.  Part 4 includes the proposed changes to Fees and Charges for the Alert Service in Social and Community Services.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)              note the report and approve the virements as set out in annex 2a;

(b)              approve the Supplementary Estimate requests as set out in annex 2f and the return of £0.071m by CYP&F as set out in paragraph 19;

(c)               approve transfer to reserves as set out in paragraph 14;

(d)              approve the Capital Programme included at Annex 7;

(e)              note the Capital Programme Review Update as set out in paragraph 99 & 100;

(f)                note the reduction of £2.774m in Sure Start, Early Years and Children’s Centres (SSEYCC) grant funding and agree the effect on Early Years and Children’s Centre projects as summarised out in paragraph 88; and

(g)              approve the proposed fees and charges for the Alert Service as set out in Part 4.

Cabinet considered the monthly financial monitoring report for the 2010/11 financial year covering the period up to the end of August 2010.  It included the Council's forecast position for the 2010/11 financial year with projections for revenue, balances, and reserves and the capital programme monitoring and update.

Councillor Armitage, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance & Property referred to the information that was contained in paragraph 88 relating to early years and Children’s Centre projects. He felt that the information was not self explanatory and hoped that in difficult financial times where transparency in decision making was essential this could be improved.

Councillor Brighouse speaking as a local member commended the finance officers on the paperwork. She would have liked to have been kept more informed on the position relating to the future of Playbuilder Capital Funding and urged that the scheme for Bayards Hill go forward.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Property highlighted that with 6 months to go the financial position was on track and in year reductions were now all included in the figures. He highlighted areas of concern including pooled budgets and the underlying position of the Children, Young People & Families budget. Cabinet Members responded to the concerns raised and in particular the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families congratulated the Director for Children, Young People & Families on her efforts to bring the budget on track that had resulted in changed ways of working that would sustain the improvement. She confirmed that there had been no news yet from central Government about play schemes.

RESOLVED:                        to:

(a)               note the report and approve the virements as set out in annex 2a;

(b)               approve the Supplementary Estimate requests as set out in annex 2f and the return of £0.071m by CYP&F as set out in paragraph 19;

(c)               approve transfer to reserves as set out in paragraph 14;

(d)               approve the Capital Programme included at Annex 7;

(e)               note the Capital Programme Review Update as set out in paragraph 99 & 100;

(f)                 note the reduction of £2.774m in Sure Start, Early Years and Children’s Centres (SSEYCC) grant funding and agree the effect on Early Years and Children’s Centre projects as summarised out in paragraph 88; and

(g)               approve the proposed fees and charges for the Alert Service as set out in Part 4.