Agenda item

Report of Corporate Director (Finance & Performance) considered by Cabinet on 6^th October 2009 (Cabinet’s Resolutions attached at Page ?)

The Corporate Director (Finance and Performance) presented a report, which Cabinet had considered on 6^th October 2009, to note progress so far in identifying options for savings and efficiencies for inclusion in the 2010/11 draft budget proposals; to note the programme for the budget consultation exercise; to give consideration to a request from the County Council for the City Council’s preference for involvement in their (County’s) consultation process; to agree the proposal to enter into a shared service with Preston City Council initially for a joint senior management arrangement for the Revenues and Benefits Service; and to note the appointment of a project manager to prepare a business case for further opportunities.

Appended to the report at Appendix A was a statement of the General Fund savings position, which included options that had been considered since Cabinet’s previous meeting.  Cabinet Members had continued to meet with officers to develop savings and efficiency options in line with the programme agreed at Cabinet on 1^st September 2009, and work had continued to review the variances arising from the 2008/09 closure of accounts and highlighted as part of the first quarter’s Performance Review Team exercise. 

Cabinet had reviewed the latest information on how the revenue and capital budgets were allocated across the Council’s current corporate priorities, support services and non-priorities, and had received information about current spending allocations from the Lancaster District Local Strategic Partnership (LDLSP).  Cabinet Members were continuing to review both sets of information.  Cabinet Members had attended a presentation by Ipsos/Mori outlining the key messages from the Place Survey exercise and Cabinet would use this in their review of the current policy framework documents, including Corporate Plan priorities.

Appendix B to the report gave options for a senior management structure as part of a Shared Revenues and Benefits service.  Cabinet had approved the first phase of the establishment of a Revenues and Benefits shared service on the basis highlighted in the report, which would create a joint senior management structure as the first phase of the agreement, and involve a joint consultation plan to ensure that staff affected by the proposals and trade unions received appropriate information, including detailed consultation with staff who were identified as ‘at risk’ by the proposals. 

It was reported that Cabinet had agreed the scope for a public engagement exercise as part of this year’s budget process at its previous meeting and had endorsed the programme of events, exhibitions and consultation forums, as set out in Appendix C, that would take place the week following Christmas and the New Year, and had authorised officers to proceed accordingly.

The Council had received a request from the County Council for their preferred method for involvement in their budget consultation exercise.  A note recently presented to the Lancashire Chief Finance Officers’ meeting was attached as Appendix D.  Cabinet had resolved that the Leader of the Council liaise further with the Leader of the County Council on options for engaging with the County Council in respect of their budget consultation proposals, and had requested that the Budget and Performance Panel invite the County Council to present their budget proposals to a future meeting of the Panel.

(1)        That the report be noted.

(2)        That the Panel’s Work Programme be amended to include an item to invite the County Council to present their budget proposals to a future meeting of the Panel.