Issue - meetings

Revenue Monitoring 2016/17 - end of December 2016

Meeting: 26/01/2017 - Executive (Item 92)

92 Revenue Monitoring 2016/17 - December 2016 pdf icon PDF 170 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

That:

1)        the forecast outturn position of the revenue budget and the level of forecast balances in respect of the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Schools Block and the Authority’s investment portfolio be noted;

 

2)        the potential carry forward requests, as per Appendix B to the report, be noted;

 

3)        a supplementary estimate for Health and Wellbeing in the sum of  £722k be approved.

 

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report setting out the forecast outturn position of the revenue budget and the level of forecast balances in respect of the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Schools’ Block and the Council’s investment portfolio.

 

The Executive Member for Economic Development and Finance highlighted the £812k overspend in Health and Wellbeing; which was as a result of the Department of Health reneging on their promise to provide additional funding of £722k to offset the additional costs as a result of the change in eligibility criteria.   The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing went through the background to the issue and advised that despite all the Council’s best efforts the Department of Health had finally responded before Christmas to say that they would not be providing any additional fund.  The Council, in association with West Berkshire Council who was similarly affected, were currently looking at other options that might be available to pursue this matter.

 

In addition Councillor Pollock went through the report and highlighted a number of areas including: pressures in demand led services, including Health and Wellbeing and Children’s Services, and underspends in a number of areas including Environment and Finance and Resources.  Councillor Pollock was pleased to advise the meeting that there was still £9m in reserves and the investment portfolio was healthy.

 

In relation to the Children’s Services budget Councillor Haitham Taylor commented that a reduction in costs should be forthcoming as a result of the new Special Educational Needs resource at St Crispins and also that an innovation bid had been put forward to the Department of Education which if successful would assist with the Council’s new recruitment and retention strategy within children’s social care.

 

Councillor Pollock paid tribute to Officers for the work they had undertaken on the budget in what was a difficult financial climate.

 

RESOLVED That:

1)        the forecast outturn position of the revenue budget and the level of forecast balances in respect of the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Schools Block and the Authority’s investment portfolio be noted;

 

2)        the potential carry forward requests, as per Appendix B to the report, be noted;

 

3)        a supplementary estimate for Health and Wellbeing in the sum of  £722k be approved.