Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received as follows:

Cllr Carole Soden

Cllr Desna Allen

Cllr Chuck Berry

Cllr Peggy Dow

Cllr Dick Tonge (Cabinet member for Highways and Transport)

Mr Neil Owen (Governor Representative)

Dr Mike Thomson (Diocesan RC Representative)

Linda Griffiths (Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network)

Parvis Khansari (Service Director Highways and Transport)

To receive any declarations of pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests or dispensations as granted by the Standards Committee.

The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting.  Upon request the Democratic Services Officer confirmed the paperwork to be considered as part of the Committee’s deliberations.  This included the Budget Task Group minutes arising from the meeting held on 25 January 2013 and circulated as part of Appendix 3 to the Wiltshire Council’s Financial Plan 2013/14 Update report as a supplementary paper.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item.  Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above no later than 5pm on Thursday 31 January 2013.  Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice.  Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

A report explaining the background, purpose and proceedings of this meeting is attached.

A report is attached from the Director of Finance on the Council’s Financial Plan for 2013/14. 

A copy of the Financial Plan 2013/14 (referred to as Appendix 1 to the report) will follow and is expected to be circulated via separate cover on Thursday 31 January.   An electronic copy, once published, can be found here. 

Please note that Appendices A-G of the Financial Plan are attached to this agenda as follows:

Appendix A – Financial Plan Summary

Appendix B – Financial Plan Services Summary

Appendix C – Budget Book

Appendix D – Assumptions underlying the plan

Appendix E – Capital Programme

Appendix F – Housing Revenue Account (HRA)

Appendix G – Fees and Charges

The Leader of the Council and Director of Finance will be in attendance to introduce the draft budget, explain how it was compiled and to answer questions arising in relation to the context and rationale.

The Chairman of the Committee will then invite questions and comments on the report and Financial Plan.  In respect of the Plan, this will be done section by section as follows:

·         2013/14 plans to reprioritise our spending (savings)

·         Investment – Revenue & Capital

·         Fees and Charges

·         Public Health

·         Schools

·         Housing Revenue Account

·         Capital Programme

The views of the Committee and any findings and agreed recommendations resulting from the meeting will be formerly reported to Cabinet and Council.

The following were in attendance to present the report on the Council’s proposed budget for 2013/14 which included, as an appendix, the draft Financial Plan to be considered by Cabinet on 12 February and Full Council on 26 February.

Carolyn Godfrey (Corporate Director)

Michael Hudson (Director of Finance)

Cllr Jane Scott (Leader of the Council)

Cllr John Brady (Cabinet member Finance, Performance and Risk)

Upon receiving the presentations the Chairman invited questions from members.  Details of the main issues raised can be found within the attached report.

Resolved:

To recommend that Council take into account the main points made by the special meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee as outlined within the attached report when determining the 2013/14 budget.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

28 February 2013.