Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendation.

The Leader of the Council presented the first draft of the revenue budget for the Council Fund for 2013/14 for initial approval for 1) further work and 2) presentation to Overview and Scrutiny Committees throughout January, 2013.

The Leader of the Council commented on the financial challenges facing the Council and explained that following the Annual Council Meeting the current Administration had given a commitment to protect ‘front line’ services. He thanked Cabinet Members and officers for the work undertaken in preparing the draft revenue budget proposals which he said indeed protected ‘front line’ services and increased the base budget provisions for education and social services. He also commented on the Administration’s commitment to protecting the core investment in local services, such as, bus travel and play schemes, where there had been a reduction in grant funding from the Welsh Government (WG).

The Chief Executive outlined the aims of the draft budget for 2013/14 as detailed in the report and commented on this being a ‘stepping stone’ budget for the new Council being led by a new Administration. He confirmed that despite the interim nature of the budget there was a strong budget alignment with the 10 Improvement Priorities which had been re-adopted by the new Council within its Improvement Plan. He outlined the Council’s previous success in setting balanced budgets whilst investing in key priorities, meeting growths in service demands and absorbing the cost impacts of inflation. The Council had achieved this through developing internal programmes of change and reform to make efficiencies, through collaboration and cost-sharing work with partners, and through service reviews and change.

The Head of Finance explained that the current projected budget gap for 2013/14 was £1.480m which included £1.063m recurring base budget and £0.417m for one-off and for time limited items. Details of the current budget proposals were summarised within the report. Work would continue on eliminating the budget gap over the coming weeks. This would be through the identification of further service efficiencies and the implementation of cost control measures.

The Head of Finance circulated a briefing note on the Final Local Government Settlement for 2013/14 which had been announced on the 11 December, 2012. The note provided further details around the Council Tax Support Scheme (CTS) which had been confirmed as a new responsibility for the Council. The Minister for Local Government had announced in the Final Settlement an additional £4.6m of additional funding across Wales to assist Local Authorities with the costs of introducing the CTS scheme and work was underway to assess the specific implications for Flintshire. The briefing note also provided details on the Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) which had decreased by £0.120m. It was noted that for specific grants where only limited information had been received to date.

Cabinet Members spoke in support of the report and outlined their own commitments to protecting ‘front line’ services.

The Leader of the Council confirmed that longer-term planning and decisions on the base budget allocations would be reviewed as an early priority for 2013.

RESOLVED:

That the Council Fund revenue budget proposals, which were in progress, and would be subject to consideration by Overview and Scrutiny in January, 2013 be endorsed.