Agenda item

(a)       That the Staged Budget Process as set out in the amended appendix to the report to the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee be approved for Budget Consultation purposes; and

(b)       That section 16 of the Constitution be amended to the suggested wording set out in the new appendix, with the revised wording for Requirement 19 on the webcasting of meetings.

The Democratic Services Manager presented recommendations from the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee meeting on 26 April 2018 following the review of the budget consultation process.

Member feedback generated from the consultation had been developed into a series of requirements as set out in the report alongside responses.  A Staged Budget Process flowchart, using the 2018/19 approach, could be adapted for future use and helped to illustrate the complexities of the process and consultation requirements.

Due to the timing of the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee meeting, the Democratic Services Manager circulated a revised report with changes agreed at that meeting:

The amended resolutions to approve the revised report and form of words for insertion into section 16 of the Constitution were agreed by Members.

Following a query from Councillor Mackie, it was clarified that requirement 19 would be taken out of the report as the use of call-in would be considered by the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee in June.

The Chief Executive commented on the inclusivity of consultation on the budget process and progress on the budget for 2019/20.

Councillor Richard Jones referred to requirement 18 on the conclusion of proposals which had been through the budget process and requested that ‘unless new information comes to light’ be inserted to take account of any changes.  On the need for confidentiality on information sharing, the Chief Executive gave examples of reporting stages between committees and referred to the working protocol which could be developed.  The importance of call-in was noted and further discussion would be required on this.  In response to further comments, oversight of the entire budget was the responsibility of the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee which would consider a report on the Integrated Assessment Tool.  Officers would give further consideration to the need for a clear understanding of consequences of budget decisions.

In response to Councillor Jones’ suggestion to webcast every committee meeting with an impact on budget discussions, the Chief Officer (Governance) explained the limitations on webcasting equipment.  The Chief Executive said that agreement to webcast the all-Member budget meeting of Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee would be extended to other meetings of that Committee convened as part of the staged budget process, whether all Members were invited or not.  Requirement 19 would be amended to reflect this, noting that the annual budget meeting ‘will’ be webcast (rather than ‘could’).

Councillor Heesom also raised concerns about requirement 18 on the conclusion of proposals and said that further discussion should not be prohibited which would hinder the democratic process.  He felt assured that concerns about information sharing were addressed in the next agenda item.

The Chief Executive explained that requirement 18 applied to proposals where full information had been shared, enabling decision-making by the Council so that discussion could be concluded on those items.  Whilst this allowed for planning and implementation, it did not prevent new or additional proposals being raised.

Following remarks by Councillor Woolley on comparison between requirements 16 and 22, the Chief Executive explained the intent to ensure that enquiries from Members were forthcoming at an early stage to allow for the budget timetable.

Councillor Peers sought clarification on involvement by Overview & Scrutiny after each stage of the budget process.  The Chief Executive said that in addition to Member workshops, Overview & Scrutiny committees were consulted on Stage 1 proposals in their respective areas along with some elements in Stage 2.  Discussions on Stage 3 proposals were more complex due to the timing of the Local Government Final Settlement.

Councillor Richard Jones asked if the process could reflect the ‘potential’ involvement of Overview & Scrutiny on Stage 3 proposals.  The Chief Executive said that proposals at that point were unlikely to include portfolio issues under the remit of Overview & Scrutiny at this late and final stage.

In summing up, Councillor Aaron Shotton acknowledged concerns about requirement 19 on the use of call-in but was satisfied that this would be subject to further discussion by the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee.

The Chief Officer (Governance) provided background on the intention of requirement 19 and the implications on the budget process.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Staged Budget Process as set out in the amended appendix to the report to the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee be approved for Budget Consultation purposes; and

(b)       That section 16 of the Constitution be amended to the suggested wording set out in the new appendix, with the revised wording for Requirement 19 on the webcasting of meetings.