Issue - meetings

To note the verbal report.

The Corporate Finance Manager introduced the verbal item which outlined the Provisional Settlement that had been received on 10^th October.  He explained that the provisional Aggregate External Finance (AEF), which was made up of Revenue Support Grants (RSGs) and Non Domestic Rates (NDRs), for 2018/19 was £187.816m which when compared to the adjusted 2017/18 figure of £189.519 represented a decrease of 0.9% which equated to a reduction of £1.703m.

                        Transfers into the Settlement included the Single Environment Grant – Waste (£1.640m), Welsh Independent Living Grant (£1.586m), Social Care Workforce Grant (£0.827m), Looked after Children (£0.302m), and Carer’s Respite Care Grant (£0.131m). 

                        A new responsibility had been identified in the Settlement of £0.197m for homeless prevention which would need to be addressed in detail on the funding requirements for Flintshire.  Taking that adjustment into account, the Settlement had a negative impact of £1.9m on the current Budget forecast for 2018/19.

                        He explained the Funding Floor of £1.772m that had been included to ensure that no authority had a reduction of greater than 1% compared to its 2017/18 allocation and top-up funding.  Information in relation to specific grants would not be received before 24^th October.

                        The Council’s General Capital Funding had reduced from a 2017/18 total of £6.634m to £6.516m which was a net decrease of £0.118m.

                        The Chief Executive explained that there was a six week consultation period which ceased on 21^st November. The Provisional Settlement would be discussed at a special County Council meeting on 14^th November. 

                        Stage 1 of the budget had been discussed at each of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.  Stage 2 would be reported to Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cabinet and County Council in December. Stage 3 of the budget would detail the national funding position and the risks.

                        Councillor Shotton commented on the seriousness or the situation and the impact of austerity on the services provided to the people of Flintshire.  It was the Council’s duty to provide for the needs of local people which should be made possible from the funding given to local authorities, by the UK Government, but public services continued to be attacked due to the ongoing cuts to budgets.  He implored Cabinet Members to continue to lobby UK Government for a reversal of the current fiscal policy prior to the Chancellor’s Statement on 22^nd November.  If there was any reversal in the cuts then lobbying would take place with Welsh Government (WG) for the protection of local services.

                        Councillor Attridge concurred and urged Members to lobby MP’s and AM’s, explaining which services could be affected.

                        The Chief Executive explained that the Public Engagement Events, ‘Our Flintshire, Our Future 2017’, started this week where the challenges being faced, along with how communities could get involved to help protect the services they valued most, would be discussed. 

RESOLVED:

That the verbal report be received.