Issue - meetings

BUDGET SCRUTINY - REVIEW OF PRE BUSINESS PLAN REVIEWS 2011/12 TO 2013/14

 

 

Meeting: 05/01/2011 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 150)

150 BUDGET SCRUTINY - REVIEW OF financial planning for 2011/12 TO 2013/14 pdf icon PDF 799 KB

To update Members on the financial planning position for 2011/12 to 2013/14.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Kevin Bartle (Lead Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Finance Officer) introduced the Review of Budget Planning document for 2011/12 to 2013/14 as presented to Cabinet in December 2010 and highlighted key factors in the report including that if all the changes and variations set out in the report were agreed the Council would still have a shortfall of £33,989 million in 2011/12 and £86,878 million over the 3 year financial plan (Appendix 1). 

 

The reason for such significant financial difficulties related mainly to the unprecedented reduction in government grant along with significant  growth/ increased costs which results in the level of savings required to fill the funding gap. The Committee noted that on-going work on a number of additional proposals was continuing with a view to having a balanced budget for 2011/12 by the end of February 2011.

 

The Committee commented on the difficulty of scrutinising the Budget when the papers provided only covered a proportion of proposed cuts with many more to follow as they could not get a sufficient overview. The Committee was also told that there remained uncertainty surrounding the level of future financial resources (as the financial settlement from central government was still only provisional).

 

The Committee requested further information (including what other options had been considered) on the following aspects of the budget:

 

New Revenue Investment Proposals

Ref

No.

Report Page No.

Area / Service

Efficiency or invest-ment

£

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

comments

1 &

 

2

 

8

Adult Social Care - Reduced Contributions from NHS

 

695

 

383

The Committee expressed concerns that the most vulnerable residents would take the impact.

 

The committee acknowledged the demographic pressures on budgets but asked that an estimate be made of the budget pressures resulting form PCT budget changes over the next three years.

3

 

 

&

 

 

4

 

8

 

 

Adult Social Care  –

Demographic Pressures – Mental Health & Older People

556

 

455

The Committee asked for documented background information on why investment was proposed for 2011/12 only.

6

8

Adult Social Care - Transition

1,847

The Committee asked for more information on the “assumed £1.4 million” including where the funding was coming from.

 

8

 

 

9

Children & Young People (CYPS) - Demographic pressures

4,000

 

 

The Committee asked for an explanation of why, after an initial growth, reductions were planned for 2012/13 and 2013/14.  The Committee also asked for more information on the £4 million investment in CYPS next year which was a concern given the savings required.

9

9

CYPS – increased legal cost budgets

500

The Committee requested further information on the increase in legal costs and why these were not planned to reduce in 2012/13 and 2013/14 in line with the reductions in the previous item. 

 

Reference was also made to a question asked  at an earlier OSC meeting about the rise in legal costs of taking children into care and a commentary on the measures taken to curb this spending was requested.

10

9

CYPS

1,000

The Committee expressed concern that this service was already stretched and asked for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 150