Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

Please note that due to the very tight schedule that the Cabinet and Officers have been working to in order to put together the final budget proposals for 2010/2011, it has not been possible to complete the report within the normal timescales and therefore the report will be circulated to all Members on the 8 February 2010.

The Committee considered a report of the Borough Treasurer containing the formal consultation by Cabinet of the Budget for 2010/2011.

The report set out in detail the spending plans and income targets for the Council for the financial year starting on 1 April 2010.

Councillor Thwaite, Chairman of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee advised Members that the Committee had set up a Budget Consultation Group in December 2009 to oversee the consultation process for 2010/2011 budget. The group had met twice during January 2010, during which details of the officer/portfolio budget challenge sessions held in the run up to the consultation process had been discussed. In addition, dates for the budget cycle of Scrutiny meetings had been agreed. The group had been given an opportunity to question some key officers within the Council to seek clarity on critical aspects of the budget, and as a result, there were no outstanding matters that required action by the Committee.

The group had concluded that it needed to reconvene in April to make early preparations for the 2011/2012 budget consultation process to ensure that a clear timetable existed for all internal stakeholders to ensure that Overview and Scrutiny members played an active part in the budget formulation and consultation processes during 2010/2011.

In view of the limited time between the series of budget Scrutiny meetings to be held over the 11 and 12 February and the Cabinet meeting on 16 February, the Chairman sought authority to allow the Vice Chairman to formally report the Committee’s views to the Scrutiny Chairs Group at its meeting prior to Cabinet on the 16 February when a composite response encompassing the comments of all five Scrutiny Committees would be agreed.

In relation to the Adult Services budget figures, Members were advised that it was intended to meet the procurement figure through methods including collective renegotiation of some contracts and rationalisation; the review of the third sector would focus on buying outcomes and looking at how the third sector could assist in the prevention and reablement approach; the transport review had two approaches – an overall corporate review of strategic provision of community and public transport and also a review of transport use by service users; review of building based services would look at under used facilities and decommissioning of buildings that were in poor condition and focus on fit for purpose facilities and outreach type services; the staffing review would ensure the staff profile met the needs of the service and was provided in the right location; additional income would partly be achieved by targeted work to ensure people claimed benefits to which they were entitled.

Members also considered the Health and Well-being budget and noted that a fundamental review of all health and well-being services was underway. 

RESOLVED:  That

(a) the budget proposals be noted; and

(b) the Vice Chairman be authorised to formally report the Committee’s views to the Scrutiny Chairs Group at its meeting on the 16 February when a composite response encompassing the comments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12