Issue - meetings

Executive Board considered the attached report.

RECOMMENDED: That Council

1)    approve the revisions to the Council’s 2017/18 Capital Programme set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report; and

2)    endorse the urgent action taken by the Chief Executive as outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

          The Council considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which sought approval to a number of revisions to the Council’s Capital Programme.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the revisions to the Council’s 2017/18 Capital Programme set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report, be approved; and

2)    the urgent action taken by the Chief Executive, as outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report, be endorsed.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which reported on the 2017/18 Quarter 2 spending as at 30 September 2017.

A summary of spending against the revenue budget up to 30 September 2017 was attached to the report at Appendix 1. This provided individual statements for each department. The Board was advised that, in overall terms, revenue expenditure was £1.939m above the budget profile at this stage. It was reported that over the last quarter, the position had worsened and increased by £1.131m. If current spending patterns continued, projections showed that the Council would be overspent by approximately £4m by year-end if no corrective action was taken.

It was further noted that the main budget pressure facing the Council continued to be within the Children and Families Department, with Out of Borough Residential Places and Out of Borough Fostering dominating the overspend position. In addition, the Complex Care Pool Budget with Halton Clinical Commissioning Group was over budget at 30 September 2017, with financial pressures within the Service for health and social care services covering Residential and Domiciliary Care, Direct Payments and Day Care.

The Capital Programme had been revised to reflect a number of changes in spending profiles and funding as schemes had developed and these were detailed in Appendix 3.

RESOLVED: That

1)    all spending continues to be limited to the absolutely essential;

2)    Strategic Directors continue to take appropriate action to contain overall spending within their total operational budget by year-end; and

3)    Council be recommended to approve the revised Capital Programme as set out in Appendix 3.