Agenda, decisions and minutes

Purpose: To receive any Declarations and advise Members accordingly.

No declarations of interest were made.

No declarations of interest were made.

Purpose: To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th December 2015.

That the minutes be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 10^th December, 2015 had been circulated to Members with the agenda.

Matters Arising

                        In response to a question from Councillor Ian Smith about whether all of the questions asked by Members had been answered by the Police & Crime Commissioner, the Member Engagement Manager confirmed that if any responses had not been received, he would resubmit the questions. 

                        The Chairman indicated that he had been contacted by Superintendent Alex Goss about the 101 phone service and he had offered to attend a future meeting of the Committee. 

                        Councillor Richard Jones referred to page 6 and felt that Mr. Roddick had misunderstood the question that he had asked.  Councillor Jones said that he had been trying to establish what cuts would not need to be made because of the lower than anticipated level of reduction in funding.

                        In referring to page 7, Councillor Andy Dunbobbin asked whether Mr. Roddick had provided a list of savings made and proposed efficiencies following receipt of the final budget settlement figure for North Wales Police on 17 December 2015.  The Member Engagement Manager indicated that he circulated the information to the Committee Members by email the previous day.

                        Councillor Peter Curtis felt it may be difficult for the areas of cuts to be identified due to differing priorities which could result in the need for increases in funding for some areas.  The Chief Executive concurred and commented on two such areas which were cybercrime and child sexual exploitation.  He added that the question on why the planning assumptions were showing an increase in Council Tax for 2016/17 and then a reduction for 2017-18 to 19-20 had yet not been answered.  The Member Engagement Manager said that the Police and Crime Panel was due to meet on 25^th January 2016 and he would provide further information following that meeting.

            RESOLVED:

That the minutes be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

That the verbal update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy be received with thanks.

The Chief Executive provided a verbal update on the Medium Term Finance Strategy (MTFS). 

                        The agenda for the Cabinet meeting on 19 January 2016 included a first phase report on the Council Fund Revenue Budget for 2016/17.  The current  priority was to set a budget for 2016/17.  The MTFS included a headline summary of the possible figures for 2017/18 based on the comparative Settlement outcomes for 2016/17 although it was expected that longer term forecasts would be provided by Welsh Government (WG) following the Welsh Assembly elections in May 2016.  The Chief Executive also commented on issues such the funding formula and National Non Domestic Rates (NNDR). 

            RESOLVED:

That the verbal update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy be received with thanks.

That the report be received.

The Chief Executive introduced the report to enable the Committee to make comments on the Council’s response to the Provisional Settlement for 2016/17 before consideration by Cabinet on 19^th January 2016.  The report would not be considered by County Council due to the short timescale for a response.  Paragraph 1.06 of the report to Cabinet suggested a response and was separated into three areas which were:-

·         The Provisional Settlement for 2016/17

·         Future annual Settlements

·         Immediate National Budget Work for 2016/17

In referring to the Provisional Settlement for 2016/17 the Chief Executive welcomed the lower Revenue Support Grant (RSG) reductions which reduced the budget gap for Flintshire County Council by nearly £4m.  There was a need to press Welsh Government (WG) for a lower reduction in the new Single Environment Grant (SEG) than the proposed reduction.  The cut in the SEG was -6.7% or £0.210m for Flintshire, with the average for Wales being -6.4%, and could result in an impact on key local public services.  Concerns were also being expressed on the risk of any further above average reductions for currently unpublished specific grants and the inability to plan for impacts on services as a result of in-year specific grant reductions as had been experienced in 2015/16.  On the issue of the newly announced joint health and social care additional funding, the Chief Executive explained that progress was being made to ensure it was equally accessible for current and emerging service demands.

Councillor Aaron Shotton spoke of the lobbying work that had been undertaken which included a request for an exemption on the social care charging cap.  He also commented on pressures in the social care budget.  Councillor Shotton spoke of the positive comments that had been received from Mark Drakeford, the Minister for Health and Social Services, about the need to examine the concerns raised and the positive recognition by WG of the issues that were being highlighted.  However, it was unlikely that any changes would be implemented before the Welsh Assembly elections in May 2016.  Councillor Shotton also raised concern about the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which was not fully funded and was therefore a budget pressure even though it was in effect a national Welfare Scheme in Wales.  He commented on the additional funding for joint health and social care and referred to the Intermediate Care Fund.

Flintshire was ranked 19^th out of the 22 Welsh Councils per capita on Aggregate External Finance (AEF) and it had been reported to Cabinet in December 2015 that if Flintshire received the per capita average, then the Council’s AEF would be £17.455m per annum higher than the amount currently received.  The formula was based principally on deprivation indices, rurality and sparsity, and service need indices. National discussions on the future of the local government funding formula were ongoing.  The Chief Executive explained that if the Council had received funding based on the average AEF, then a balanced budget could be agreed without the need for any new efficiencies this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

(a)       That the Month 7 Revenue Budget Monitoring Report be received; and

(b)       That no formal recommendations be made to the Cabinet on this occasion.

The Finance Manager – Corporate Accounting and Systems introduced a report to provide Members with the Revenue Budget Monitoring 2015/16 (Month 7) for the Council Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which was to be submitted to Cabinet on 19^th January 2016. 

                        The figures were based on actual income and expenditure as at Month 7, and projected forward to year-end.  For the Council Fund, the projected net in-year expenditure was forecast to be £0.387m lower than budget which was a positive movement of £0.678m from Month 6.  Appendix 1 detailed the movements from Month 6 with the main change being an improved position on the Central Loans & Investment Account (CLIA) of £0.596m.  The Programme of Efficiencies was reported in paragraphs 1.05 and 1.07 and it was currently projected that £10.642m (83%) would be achieved; appendix 3 provided details on the latest variation to the level of efficiency achievable compared to the budget.  Details of costs for inflation and non-standard inflation were reported along with information on unearmarked reserves which showed that taking into account previous allocations and the current underspend at Month 7, the Contingency Reserve at 31^st March 2016 was projected to be £4.923m.  It was being recommended to Cabinet that two costs be funded from the Reserve.  The first was £0.800m to meet the estimated 20% increase of the levy required to meet past and future claim liabilities in relation to the former Municipal Mutual Insurance (MMI) company.  The second was a cost of £0.100m for the increased need for specialist social work capacity for child protection support working in partnership with statutory agencies.  The Chief Executive provided further detail on this area.  The Finance Manager – Corporate Accounting and Systems advised that if both of these uses of the contingency fund were approved by Cabinet, the remaining reserve would be approximately £4.00m.  Issues relating to the MMI, recycling, car parking, out of county placements, former Euticals site and in-year reductions in specific Government grants were all reported as risks for the Council.

                        Councillor Richard Jones referred to the transfer of the transport budget of £0.656m from Social Services to Streetscene & Transportation and queried whether this has had an impact on the overspend in Streetscene & Transportation.  The Chief Executive explained that the spend was originally held within Social Services portfolio but it was felt that it was more appropriate to hold it within the Streetscene & Transportation portfolio.  He added that it did not affect the over-spend in the portfolio.  Councillor Jones also referred to the movement of £0.376m between the Education & Youth and Central & Corporate Finance portfolios.  The Chief Executive explained that this move was to ensure that all borrowing was held in the CLIA account but added that it would not have an effect on the over or underspends for the respective portfolios.  In response to a question from Councillor Jones on whether match fund spend came from the relevant department or from Central & Corporate Finance, the Chief Executive confirmed that this could be from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.

(a)       That the Forward Work Programme, as amended at the meeting, be approved; and

(b)       That the Member Engagement Manager, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and officers, be authorised to vary the work programme between meetings.

The Member Engagement Manager introduced the report to consider the Forward Work Programme for the Committee. 

            He explained that a special meeting would be held on 29^th January 2016 as a mop-up budget session that all Members would be invited to.  The Chief Executive added that information to the meeting would be on budget proposals on closing the remaining gap and comments made would form part of the consideration by Cabinet and County Council on 16^th February 2016. 

            During earlier discussions, a presentation by Superintendent Alex Goss on the 101 phone service had been discussed and the Member Engagement Manager advised that he would provide dates of future meetings to establish availability.  A report on the Emergency Planning Response Work would also be included at either the February, March or April 2016 meetings.  The Member Engagement Manager also referred to an item on the Flintshire Community Endowment Fund presentation that would be considered at the 12^th May 2016 meeting of the Committee. 

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Forward Work Programme, as amended at the meeting, be approved; and

(b)       That the Member Engagement Manager, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and officers, be authorised to vary the work programme between meetings.

There were no members of the public or press in attendance.