Agenda item

This report presents the financial monitoring information for the Authority as a whole for the financial year 2017/18 to the end of December 2017.

Councillor Paul Crossley made an ad-hoc statement where he said that Transport and Environment portfolio forecast was £97k overspend although the Cabinet made a decision earlier to cut revenue in this area.

Councillor Richard Samuel made an ad-hoc statement by saying that the overspend was £3.4m with £350k savings made, which still makes the total overspend of over £3m.  Councillor Samuel felt that this was a poor financial report with likelihood for tax increases, mass redundancies and cuts in services for residents.

Councillor Robin Moss asked why there was no link between supply and demand in Adult Social Care.

Councillor Charles Gerrish responded that the revenue in Transport and Environment portfolio would increase and that the Council had had issues with supply in Adult Social Care.

Councillor Charles Gerrish introduced the report by saying that the Budget Management Scheme had required that the Cabinet consider the revenue and capital monitoring position four times per year.  Divisional Directors had been asked to outline the actual expected outturn for the year and the reasons to date for over / under budget forecasts. For revenue budgets which were forecast to be over budget, the Divisional Directors were expected to seek compensating savings to try and bring budgets back to balance.  The current year-end forecast was an over budget position of £3,396,000 which equates to 0.94% of gross budgeted spend (excluding Schools).  Appendix 1 sets out the detail for each Portfolio of the current position on Council spending, and the forecast outturn for 2017/18.  This was an improvement of £355,000 compared to the position previously reported based on the period to the end of October 2017.  The financial strategy, presented in October 2017 outlines how these pressures would be addressed over the short to medium term. Strategic Directors had agreed measures to reduce and mitigate this position, as set out in the report.

Councillor Charles Gerrish moved the recommendations.

Councillor Tim Warren seconded the motion by saying that the officer would develop an action plan to continue to work towards managing the budget in each service area.

Councillor Paul May highlighted high demand of services within Children and Young People portfolio.

RESOLVED (unanimously) the Cabinet agreed that:

2.1  Strategic Directors should continue to work towards managing within budget in the current year for their respective service areas and develop an action plan of how this will be achieved, including not committing any unnecessary expenditure and stringent budgetary control.

2.2  This year’s revenue budget position as shown in paragraph 5.3 is noted.

2.3  The mitigations that will be required shown in paragraph 5.8, if the over budget position cannot be reduced by the end of the financial year, are noted.

2.4  The capital year end forecast detailed in paragraph 5.18 of this report, is noted.

2.5  The revenue virements listed for approval in Appendix 2(i) are agreed, and those listed for information are noted.

2.6  The changes in the capital programme listed in Appendix 3(i) are noted.

2.7  That £75,000 of provisionally approved capital budget for Cleveland Pools in 2017/18 is fully approved.