Agenda item

6.1

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, Councillor Chris Peace, submitted a report outlining the outcome of the Committee’s consideration of the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2018/19 reports to be considered at today’s Cabinet meeting.

6.2

Following consideration of the reports the Committee resolved the following:-

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a) notes the contents of the reports of the Executive Director, Resources, on the Capital Programme 2018/19 and the Budget Report 2018/19, together with the comments made and the responses provided to the questions raised;

(b) recommends that the reports of the Executive Director, Resources on the Capital Programme 2018/19 and the Budget Report for  2018/19, be submitted to Cabinet without amendment;

(c) believes that the approach of central government to local government, one of a combination of incompetence and deliberate action, has led us to a critical point in local government finance. The Committee has concerns about the longer term financial sustainability of local government without changes in how central government chooses to fund councils;

(d) believes that the social care crisis, which is the driving force behind many of the difficult budget decisions that councils are having to make, is a national crisis borne almost entirely by local government, exacerbated by similar challenges facing the NHS;

(e) pays tribute to the Council’s front line staff who, it believes, go above and beyond in terms of time, capacity and compassion in delivering services in difficult circumstances;

(f) acknowledges and thanks volunteers and community groups in the city who work tirelessly to tackle the negative effects of austerity that so many local communities are facing;

(g) agrees to include greater oversight of the budget in its Work Programme, both in terms of in-year monitoring to support the implementation of this year’s budget; and being involved in the process for putting together next year’s budget proposals – particularly in the approach to public consultation; and

(h) thanks the Cabinet Member for Finance, the Cabinet and all officers involved for their hard work in delivering a balanced budget for 2018/19.

6.3

It was then: RESOLVED: That the above recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee be noted.