Agenda and minutes

We received apologies from County Councillor K. Williams.

None received.

We welcomed a report from the Head of Finance to provide detailed draft proposals on the budget savings required to meet the gap between available resources and need to spend in 2016/17, for consultation purposes and to consider the 2016/17 budget within the context of the 4 year Medium Term Financial Plan.

Members were recommended to scrutinise the budget savings proposals for 2016/17 released for consultation purposes and consider what alternative proposals could be submitted by 30^th November 2015.

Members were made aware that in January 2015, Cabinet approved a balanced budget for 2015/16 and acknowledged an indicative MTFP position which forecast the gap in resources over the remaining three year period as £10 million. Each year the MTFP model is rolled forward to present a 4 year position and this produced a gap of £13 million, based on original assumptions contained in the model.

Cabinet received a further report on the MTFP in June, agreed some revised assumptions and assessed the level of pressures that needed to be considered. Work has continued over the summer to refine the modelling assumptions and outline the income generation or savings proposals that will need to be considered

During discussion following the report, we noted the following points:

·         A Member asked if spinal column increases had been factored in. It was advised that MCC had never historically budgeted for incremental increases, therefore not included in the budget.

·         A Member questioned if this was the Committees last opportunity for scrutiny. It was advised that the final date was 30^th November and if necessarily a Special meeting would be called to provide further scrutiny.

We resolved to receive the report and noted its content.

SERVICE AREA BUDGET MANDATES

We welcomed Officers who presented the budget mandates and we heard the proposals before the Committee were invited to ask questions.

During discussion the following points were noted:

Mandate B2 – Rationalise the business support teams.

·         Purpose of mandate is so that select committee members are presented with relevant budget aspects, within the remit of the Strong Communities Select Committee.

·         The Mandate will examine the directorate business support/admin across the organisation in order to identify possible opportunities for rationalisation, including examination of spans of control, structures and capacity.

·         It has been noted amongst managers that we have never reviewed the whole organisation’s business support/administrative function. Given the reduction in resources that have taken place operationally this is an opportunity to examine the impact that has had on business support teams.

·         The aim is to deliver both financial and operational benefits to individual services leading to a saving of £50,000.

Member Scrutiny

·         A Member commented that they were not familiar with staffing structure at present. An Officer explained that roles were being closely looked at, as traditional admin roles were crossing over to operational areas too.

·         A Member asked if pooling business support with neighbouring authorities would be an effective way to make savings. We were told that collaborative working was being covered by other mandates,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Strong Communities Select Committee

Thursday 10^th December at 10 a.m.

We noted future meeting of Strong Communities Select Committee as:

•           Special – Tuesday 24^th November 2015 at 2pm (pre-meeting 1.30pm)

            Pressure Mandates – PTU and Waste