Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Thomas)

 

Report of the Corporate Director (Finance and Performance)

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Langhorn and Thomas)

 

The Corporate Director (Finance and Performance) and the Head of Financial Services submitted a joint report to note progress so far in identifying options for savings and efficiencies and to approve areas of service activity that should be pursued further. It also sought Cabinet’s views on its preferred option for the agreed consultation exercise.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessments and officer preferred options, were set out in the report as follows:

 

            Savings and Efficiency Strategy

 

i.                     approve the draft Savings and Efficiency Strategy included at Appendix A

ii.                   approve an amended Savings and Efficiency Strategy

iii.                  that no strategy is approved at this stage and officers be asked to undertake further work on developing the strategy

 

Preferred Option

 

The preferred option is either 1 or 2 above. This will ensure that the council has an agreed framework in place to guide members bringing forward savings and efficiencies options. 

 

            Review of 2008/9 Outturn Variances

 

i           note the progress made to date and agree the on-going savings implications identified in Appendix B are built into the 2009/10 base revenue budget, when confirmed.

ii                       note the progress made to date but agree an alternative course of action for any on-going budget implications.

 

            Preferred Option

 

The preferred option is option 1. This will ensure that any identified on-going budget implications are correctly reflected in the base budget for future years.

 

 

            Savings and Efficiency Options

 

i           consider the options included in Appendix B and determine which should be further developed for inclusion in Cabinet’s preferred list of savings and efficiency options.

ii           consider the options but don’t offer a view as to those that should be pursued at this stage.

 

Preferred Option

 

The preferred option is option 1. This will ensure that those service activities that Cabinet are minded to include in their preferred list of savings and efficiency options can be further developed.  

 

 

Corporate Plan Priorities Spend Analysis

 

i           consider the information included in Appendix C and agree actions to                      refine and improve this information, to support future decision-making.

ii           consider the information without offering a view at this stage.

 

Preferred Option

 

The preferred option is option 1. This will ensure that any anomalies in current spend allocations are considered and addressed in the budget process and the appropriate recommendations made.

 

            Consultation Exercise

 

i           consider the information included in Appendix D of the report (Appended to these minutes) and determine Cabinet’s preference for undertaking a consultation exercise on the 2010/11 budget proposals

ii           consider the information but request further alternatives

 

Preferred Option

 

The preferred option is option 1. This will ensure that officers can prepare for the consultation exercise in good time.

 

It was moved by Councillor Langhorn and seconded by Councillor Thomas:-

 

“(1)      That the Savings and Efficiency Programme attached as Appendix A to the report be approved as the basis for identifying savings and efficiency options.

 

(2)               That Cabinet notes the outcomes to date in respect of the work undertaken by Cabinet Members in reviewing the 2008/9 revenue outturn variances and in identifying savings and efficiencies options as set out in Appendix B to the report and further notes that Cabinet Members will continue to meet with senior officers to review these further.

 

(3)               That Cabinet meet informally with senior officers to consider further the information included in Appendix C of the report in respect of spending aligned to corporate priorities.”

 

By way of amendments to (1) and (2), which were accepted as friendly amendments by the proposer and seconder of the original proposition, Councillor Mace proposed:-

 

“(1)      That the Savings and Efficiency Programme attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved as the basis for identifying savings and efficiency options and that Cabinet authorises officers to continue to progress options for developing shared services with other Councils.

 

(2)        That Cabinet notes the outcomes to date in respect of the work undertaken by Cabinet Members in reviewing the 2008/9 revenue outturn variances and in identifying options as set out in Appendix B to the report and further notes that Cabinet Members will continue to meet with senior officers to review these further.”

 

Regarding the budget public engagement exercise, with options set out in Appendix D to the report (also appended to these minutes) Councillor Langhorn then proposed, and Councillor Fletcher seconded:-

 

“(4)      That Cabinet approve option 4a in the report as the basis for undertaking the 2010/2011 budget public engagement exercise.”

 

By way of amendment to (4) Councillor Barry proposed, and Councillor Mace seconded:-

 

“(4)      That Cabinet approve option 2 as the basis for undertaking the 2010/2011 budget public engagement exercise.”

 

2 Members (Councillors Barry and Mace) voted in favour of the amendment to (4), 7 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Blamire, Fletcher, Kerr, Langhorn and Thomas) voted against and 1 Member (Councillor Bryning) abstained from voting, whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be lost.

 

Members then voted as follows:-

 

Resolved:

 

(8 Members (Councillors Ashworth, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Langhorn, Mace and Thomas) voted in favour and 2 Members (Councillors Archer and Kerr) abstained)

 

(1)        That the Savings and Efficiency Programme attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved as the basis for identifying savings and efficiency options and that Cabinet authorises officers to continue to progress options for developing shared services with other Councils.

 

(2)        That Cabinet notes the outcomes to date in respect of the work undertaken by Cabinet Members in reviewing the 2008/9 revenue outturn variances and in identifying options as set out in Appendix B to the report and further notes that Cabinet Members will continue to meet with senior officers to review these further.

 

(3)        That Cabinet meet informally with senior officers to consider further the information included in Appendix C of the report in respect of spending aligned to corporate priorities.

 

Resolved:

 

(8 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Kerr, Langhorn, and Thomas) voted in favour and 2 Members (Councillors Barry and Mace) voted against)

 

(4)        That Cabinet approve option 4a in the report as the basis for undertaking the 2010/2011 budget public engagement exercise.

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Corporate Director (Finance and Performance)

Head of Financial Services

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision ensures that the council has an agreed framework in place to guide members bringing forward savings and efficiencies options; that any identified on-going budget implications are correctly reflected in the base budget for future years; that those service activities that Cabinet are minded to include in their preferred list of savings and efficiency options can be further developed; that any anomalies in current spend allocations are considered and addressed in the budget process and the appropriate recommendations made. The decision determining Cabinet’s preference for undertaking a consultation exercise on the 2010/11 budget proposals allows officers time to prepare for the consultation exercise.