Agenda and draft minutes

Jill Bond. John Crook, with Su McConnell as substitute.

None.

None.

Cabinet Member Ben Callard delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Matthew Gatehouse, Jonathan Davies, Ian Saunders, Cabinet Member Ian Chandler, Jane Rodgers and Will McLean.

• Are there any other frontline services being considered for curtailing or closure, especially in light of the proposed changes to Monmouth Library? There are no proposals to move Monmouth Library or close any hubs. The proposal is to adjust the hub's opening hours to generate revenue savings while minimizing disruption to services.

• How do you expect to fill the gap in the budget, considering the expected additional funding from the Welsh Government? The budget gap is expected to be partially filled by additional funding from the Welsh Government. However, there is ongoing negotiation, and the final budget will reflect any changes. The council is optimistic that the funding will cover a significant portion of the remaining gap.

• Are there going to be redundancies, especially in frontline services like teaching staff, given the budget pressures? While the council has been managing vacancies to minimise the need for redundancies, it cannot be explicitly stated that there will be no redundancies. The number of potential redundancies is expected to be very low, and efforts are being made to manage this through natural turnover.

• Are there any effects on teaching staff due to the education budget pressures, such as reductions in foreign language offerings in the sixth form? The council is fully funding the Teachers' pay award, pension costs, National Insurance contributions, and adding an additional £1m to support schools. Decisions on staffing within schools are made by individual governing bodies, so specific impacts on teaching staff cannot be detailed at this time.

• Why is there uncertainty about the impact of National Insurance changes on indirect employees in social care? The uncertainty arises because the impact on commissioned services depends on how much of the increased National Insurance contributions will be passed on to the council by service providers. This varies based on the providers' business models, size, and structure. The council has modelled a pressure for this but will need to consider the risk as part of the final budget.

• Are we in a position to give some an approximate figure as to how many hours in total we might need to reduce the hub opening hours? The proposal is to reduce hub opening hours by approximately 35 hours per week across the four hubs. This equates to roughly one day of provision per week.

• There will be a £2.9 million shortfall in the budget. What happens if we don't get the grant from the Welsh Government, and what will that mean for our residents and their Council tax bills? Are there criteria that we need to meet to get these extra grants? Negotiations with the Welsh Government are ongoing, and the council is optimistic about a positive outcome. If the grant from the Welsh Government does not fully cover the shortfall, the council will look at other income streams, including additional  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Cabinet Member Ben Callard introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Jonathan Davies, Deb Hill-Howells, Cabinet Member Ian Chandler, Jane Rodgers and Will McLean.

• Can the savings made through vacancies in civic enforcement be offset against the income that those officers would have generated? Officers clarified that the savings listed for Civic Enforcement officers are made through vacancies and do take into account the potential impact on income generated from fines. The service has considered the overall impact, including the enforcement action and income generation, when holding these vacancies.

• What is the cause of the overspend in waste and grounds maintenance, particularly related to recyclable prices and workplace recycling regulations, and how can we encourage a higher recycling rate in the county? Members were advised that the overspend is due to volatility in recyclable prices and the impact of new workplace recycling regulations. These regulations have led to reduced volumes of recyclable materials collected from businesses, as some businesses have found alternative waste disposal options. This has affected the overall recycling rates and contributed to the overspend. The council is reviewing the costs associated with trade waste and recyclable materials and are in the process of going through a procurement exercise to address the volatility in recyclable prices and improve the financial situation for the next financial year. Additionally, efforts are being made to encourage businesses to participate in recycling programs and comply with the new regulations to maintain high recycling rates.

• How confident is the council in addressing the budget shortfall of £1.593m, that includes a £2.376 million shortfall in meeting savings targets relating to only 78% of the £10.9 million of savings forecast to be achieved? The Cabinet Member advised that the council is confident in addressing the shortfall by continuing to work with services to drive through the remaining savings towards the end of the year and maintaining a focus on budget control to ensure that costs are managed effectively, and the remaining gap is closed.

• What are the recovery plans for schools ending the financial year in deficit, given that 69% of the schools (24 out of 35) are forecasted to end the financial year in a deficit? The Chief Officer for Children and Young People responded that the council is working with schools to support them in developing effective recovery plans, which includes providing guidance and assistance in managing their budgets, exploring opportunities for efficiency savings, and ensuring that schools have the necessary resources to address their financial challenges.

• Has there been a shift in children’s social care, with providers exiting the market, reducing the number of providers offering services and affecting costs? The Chief Officer for Social Care and Health agreed there has been a shift, which has led to increased costs due to reduced competition. The market is currently volatile, with some providers charging higher prices during this transition period, so the council is working to increase in-house care provision to mitigate these costs.

• Are discussions taking place across the region  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Due to the timing of reports coming forward, it was agreed that the next meeting in March will be cancelled, unless there is any change by the end of the week.

There is an all-Wales piece of work that Audit Wales are progressing involving local audit reviews of commissioning in all 22 local authorities – the committee’s wish to scrutinise the council’s Procurement can do so through the lens of this work. The committee will be updated as this work progresses.

• Performance and Overview Scrutiny Committee dated 19^th November 2024.

• Special Meeting – Performance and Overview Scrutiny Committee dated 3^rd December 2024.

The minutes were agreed.

This meeting will be cancelled.