Issue - meetings
REPORTS FROM SELECT COMMITTEES, TASK GROUPS, LOCAL COMMITTEES AND OTHER COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL
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Meeting: 26/01/2021 - Cabinet (Item 11)
Additional documents:
- Item 08 (A)- Cabinet response to SC Budget Recommendations, item 11
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- Webcast for Reports from Select Committees, Task Groups, Local Committees and other Committees of the Council
Decision:
RESOLVED:
That the Scrutiny of 2021/22 Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2025/26 report be noted and recommendations agreed.
Minutes:
The Chairman of the Resources and Performance Select Committee thanked the Cabinet Member for Resources for the response to the scrutiny recommendations. On the recommendation on the capital programme the clarification of the process was welcomed. On the second recommendation regarding council tax and business rates, it was clear that much work had been done and the budget assumption on the collection fund had changed substantially since first review. He explained that the Resources and Performance Select Committee reviewed the draft budget last week and were satisfied with the revised budget. The Resources and Performance Select Committee were satisfied that positive steps had been taken to close the budget gap of £18.3m. The Chairman of the Resources and Performance Select Committee briefed the Cabinet on the comments raised by the Children’s and Adults Select Committees on challenges in their service areas. The Cabinet Member for Resources was thanked for his exceptional services in the finance and resources area. The Leader thanked the Select Committees for their scrutiny work on the budget.
The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning referred to comments from the Select Committee on the habitual use of the general Fund to offset overspends. The Select Committee were right to say this was unsustainable in the long term. The Cabinet response to the recommendations highlights improvement in practice and gives confidence in setting out the early intervention work and the graduated response approachrather than their availability being inadequate as suggested by the committee. Some of the projects were in their infancy and others such as the new commissioning arrangements for CAMHS had not yet started. The Cabinet Member for Communities spoke on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change and stated work was being undertaken to improve the visitor experience to the countryside. She explained that £3m would be invested over 5 years into improving public rights of way and into improving the countryside estate.
RESOLVED:
That the Scrutiny of 2021/22 Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2025/26 report be noted and recommendations agreed.