To approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 26 April 2010 (copy attached).

RESOLVED

that the Minutes of the meeting of the Customer and Central Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 April 2010 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive from Members declarations and the nature thereof in relation to:

(a)       Personal Interests in any agenda item.

(b)       Personal and prejudicial Interests in any agenda item.

(c)        Any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman stated that a Portfolio Holder/officer report on the budget process 2011/2012 had been scheduled to be submitted to the meeting and sought clarification as to why the report was not available.  In response the Director of Customer and Shared Services explained that the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance and People wanted the report, which would include any comments made by this Committee within it, to be submitted direct to the Executive.  Members expressed dissatisfaction with this explanation on the basis that all indications had been that the report would be submitted to the Committee first.

RESOLVED

1.         That the Chairman of the Committee discuss the omission of the Portfolio Holder/officer report on the budget process 2011/2012 with the Leader and Deputy Leader of Council to establish the reason(s) for the omission;

2.         That the Chairman of the Committee seek assurance that any papers to be submitted to the Executive in future are available for consideration by the Committee should it so wish;

3.         That should the timing of the Committee’s meetings prevent such consideration as outlined in resolution 2 above then the scheduling of the Committee’s meetings be examined with the aim of overcoming this issue.

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

No petitions were received from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

No questions, statements or deputations from members of the public were received in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

To consider any matter referred to the Committee for a decision in relation to the call-in of a decision.

No matters were referred to the Committee for a decision in relation to the call-in of a decision.

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

No items were referred to the Committee for consideration at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

To consider the findings and recommendations of the Budget Task Force following its review of the budget setting process.

The Committee considered a report setting out the findings and recommendations of the Budget Task Force which had been formed in order to undertake a review of the Council’s budget setting process.    

The Committee noted that the Task Force had met several outside organisations, held internal meetings with Financial Services,  Directorates and Portfolio Holders in addition to having regard to Members’ own experience and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) best practice.

Arising from its work the Task Force had made a number of recommendations in the areas of budget holder responsibility, budget challenge, financial robustness, finance, timing and longer term planning.

Whilst giving its unanimous support to adopting the Task Force’s recommendations Members were aware that these could be superseded by the recommendations contained in the forthcoming Portfolio Holder/officer report to the Executive on the budget process (minute 10/16 also refers).

RECOMMENDED TO EXECUTIVE

that the following recommendations be approved and adopted:

i)          The council should set clear objectives on both a short and medium term basis.  These need to be clear in both financial and service terms and be the basis upon which priorities are made.

ii)         The timetable for the budget needs to start earlier and be more robust:

-         Budget Pack (Objectives and Guidelines) – end May

-         Departmental response mid July followed by management and PFH challenge

-         Draft Budget to Leadership team in September, followed by challenge/review

-         Draft Budget to Scrutiny Task Force in October

-         Draft Budget to Exec and Scrutiny in December

iii)                Budget challenge process needs to be clearer and more robust. This should initially focus on robustness of numbers and value for money and thereafter choice:

-         Officer challenge needs to be on a top down basis and at a higher level 

o       Internal directorate challenge pre directorate submission

o       Portfolio Holders need early involvement and to challenge their budget

o       Challenge process of Directorate Budget led by Chief Executive

o       CMT process to look at overall picture, cross cutting issues and also bench marking e.g. overlaps. This should also involve Executive

-         That CBC should have a joint OSC Task Force to scrutinise budget for “robustness of numbers”  earlier e.g. October prior to individual OSC scrutiny which should focus on  “choice” challenge

-         Greater level of detail to be provided to members such that they can see what money is being spent on

iv)               The council should have a longer term Corporate Plan to drive the priorities and service improvements of the council forward. At present there is a Medium Term Financial Plan  (MTFP) which could be developed to achieve this:

-         A top down plan, but of sufficient detail that covers departments performance and is bought into by both Exec and CMT

o       Needs to incorporate anticipated major budget pressures, investment strategies, efficiency savings, business improvement/transformation, service reviews and anticipated grant income changes

o       Avoid excessive detail on underlying expenditure

-         Should drive and direct Council improvement and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

To consider the Committee’s current work programme and the latest Executive Forward Plan.

The Committee considered its current work programme and the latest Executive Forward Plan.  Members were aware of the forthcoming meeting between the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee with Portfolio Holders and Directors to consider and revise the Committee’s work programme.  The Chairman asked that Members notify him if they had any items they wished to see included in it. 

RESOLVED

1.         that the delivery of the efficiency agenda be included in the revised work programme;

2.         that the items to be considered at the 21 June 2010 meeting of the Committee be agreed immediately following the meeting between the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee with Portfolio Holders and Directors to consider and revise the Committee’s work programme;

3.         that the items to be considered at the remaining meetings of the Committee during 2010/11 be approved at the June meeting of the Committee.