Issue - meetings

Budget Consultation Process

Meeting: 15/01/2015 - Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Item 57)

Budget Consultation Process

A verbal update will be provided. 

Decision:

            (a)       That the update be received; and

 

(b)       That a letter be sent to Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee, or its equivalent, at Wrexham County Borough Council about a joint meeting to discuss possible savings through collaboration.

 

Minutes:

The Chief Executive provided a verbal update on the national and local budget position and gave a broad indication of the issues to be discussed at Cabinet on 20 January 2015. 

 

                        He commented on the discussion that had taken place at the previous meeting about the Chancellor’s Annual Statement and the support provided by the Committee to lobby for Flintshire’s share of the funding.  He advised that a letter that had been requested by the Committee at that meeting had not been sent.  However, a positive meeting had taken place on 19th December 2014 with Leighton Andrews, the Minister for Public Services, on issues including Community Asset Transfer and what could be done to protect front line services.  Work would be undertaken to establish whether funding for such issues was available from Welsh Government along with applying for any available funding from the balance remaining from the monies referred to in the Autumn Statement. 

 

                        On the issue of local budget consultation, the Chief Executive thanked Members for their support and explained that the first budget Overview & Scrutiny budget meeting would take place on Thursday, 22nd January 2015.  He spoke about the budget proposals which had been shown on the Council’s website and the small number of comments received compared to the significant number of ‘hits’ to the website.  The public consultation responses would be available for Members to consider at the budget meetings.  A verbal update and presentation was to be provided to the Cabinet meeting on 20th January 2015 to provide details on closing the budget gap.  Substantial progress had been made on this issue and the Chief Executive thanked all those who had undertaken work on the budget proposals. 

 

                        The Deputy Leader echoed the words of the Chief Executive and welcomed the questions submitted by Members and their involvement in the process.  He commented on the Cabinet meeting on 20th January 2015 and the work that was still ongoing on the budget proposals.  He reminded the Committee that the budget for 2015/16 would also be considered at the County Council meeting scheduled for 17th February 2015. 

 

                        Councillor Richard Jones spoke about the national budget position and the extra funding in the Autumn Statement.  He commented on the £40m that was being used for rate relief and was therefore not available for Council’s to apply for to use for other purposes.  He spoke of concerns in the Health Service and suggested that a request be made to WG for funding for specific portfolio areas that the Council wanted to retain.  In response, the Chief Executive said that the Council had not been consulted on the use of the extra funding and he commented on positive discussions with the Director of NHS Wales on the interrelation between health and social care issues. 

 

                        In response to a comment from Councillor Marion Bateman, the Deputy Leader said that he felt that savings could be made by collaborating with neighbouring authorities even if Councils did not merge.  It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57