Agenda item

To receive a report and update from the Task Group from its initial meetings.

As noted and retroactively approved under Minute 29 a Wiltshire Covid-19 Response Task Group had been established to undertake scrutiny of council operations and other executive matters as part of streamlined overview and scrutiny arrangements during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Task Group met on 2 June 2020 to consider matters including a report to Cabinet on the Covid-19 situation and response, and their report was included in the Agenda Supplement for the meeting. The Task Group meeting had included discussion with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, Chief Executive Officers and other Directors.

The Task Group discussed and sought details on matters including support for care homes, vulnerable residents and children, the council’s financial situation, council governance arrangements, and moving from incident response to recovery.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Philip Whitehead, supported by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Clewer, then provided an update to the Committee on the response to Covid-19. He noted that even compared to other bodies local authorities had seen a significant increase in their level of operations as a result of being central to local community efforts, and wherever possible continuing day to day operations. He paid tribute to council officers for their efforts, and noted the oversight of the Executive on emergency decisions.

He emphasised the high number of urgent decisions which had needed to be taken which necessitated emergency procedures to be enacted. He detailed the operation of the Local Resilience Forum to coordinate local response to emergency situations, and how Covid-19 was very different to a usual emergency because of the continuing impacts even as recovery was also prepared for.

The Committee discussed the update from the Task Group and the Leader of the Council.

It was raised that the response to the ongoing situation had led to many procedural or technical changes, and discussed where possible and legal these might be continued once the current situation had concluded. The importance of continued cooperation to and support of voluntary groups was raised was a discussion of existing standing constitutional emergency powers, but that notwithstanding this the Cabinet had determined how the council’s decision-making arrangements would proceed.

Other issues discussed included arrangements for the resumption of schooling and resources that the council was contributing. In particular the number of vulnerable children attending school presently was raised. Details were provided on contact with vulnerable children that had continued to be undertaken and risk assessments made.

The financial position of the council was discussed at length. Although central government had provided some additional funding some estimates suggested there could be a £50m shortfall taking into account loss of income. Reserves were to be utilised but would not be sufficient to balance the budget, and further funding was being sought from central government. There was discussion of the possibilities of a Section 114 notice, a legal process where a Council’s Section 151 Officer responsible for Finance stated it did not appear a council could balance its budget. That process would then restrict councils spending other than statutory spending, without approval until the position was resolved. The Leader provided details of the close working relationship between the Executive and council officers including the S151 Officer, and noted that the existing uncertainty about future income, especially from central government, even though projected costs were more clearly established, which might prevent the need for any such notice. If a notice were issued a report would be taken to Council on actions required to bring the budget back within balance. The role of the council’s external and internal auditors was discussed.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To note the update on the activities of the Wiltshire Covid-19 Response Task Group.

2)    To note that the task group will meet again on 7 July 2020 to discuss the latest report to Cabinet on the Covid-19 situation and response, with a report being brought to Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 8 July 2020.