Agenda and minutes

To receive details of any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Howard Greenman, Jon Hubbard and Jacqui Lay.

Councillor Greenman was substituted by Councillor Pip Ridout, and Councillor Hubbard was substituted by Councillor Clare Cape.

Councillor Alan Hill also gave apologies he would arrive late to the meeting.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2017 were presented for consideration and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

The Chairman advised the Committee of the new camera set up in the meeting room.

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 on the front of the agenda 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 on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on 30 January 2018 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on 1 February 2018. Please contact the officer named on the front 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.

There were no questions submtited or statements received.

The Management Committee is asked to scrutinise the budget papers in accordance with previously agreed procedure and in the

context of:

·         The briefing to all councillors on the budget setting process which will take place on 30 January

·         Any initial views from public consultation events

·         Remarks from the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member for Finance, Director of Finance and any input from the Corporate Directors or other Cabinet Members

·         The meeting of the Financial Planning Task Group from 1 February (written report to follow)

·         The views of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Select Committees

The Financial Planning Task Group will have gained knowledge throughout the year whilst undertaking budget monitoring on the issues that have caused

pressures, the underlying reasons and mitigating actions. They will have taken a view on the robustness of the responses including variations made and on the overall effectiveness of budget management. It is important that this knowledge from the current year and how these matters will be addressed for 2018/19 are included in today’s debate.

Likewise, the Select Committees, through the reviews they have undertaken in terms of policy development and service variation during the year, will have

been aware of the financial implications (and commitments given or efficiencies expected) of each. The committees will have had ongoing dialogue with their respective cabinet members, portfolio holders and senior managers regarding implementation so it is important that an opportunity is given to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Select Committees to comment on whether these commitments and efficiencies have been reflected in the budget proposals.

Having heard from those with a direct responsibility and interest, the Chairman will open out the debate to the Management Committee members to make enquiries of the Executive representatives based on the Financial Plan Update report (see next item) and what has been said. As in previous years, the Committee is asked to focus on the main strategic and policy issues and not those that sit at an operational officer level.

The Chairman will look to gain consensus to the key points made as the

meeting moves through the debate. These key points will be listed in the

minutes and form a report to Cabinet on 6 February and Council on 20

February.

An additional meeting of the Committee to scrutinise any opposition group or other amendments to the budget before Council has also been arranged for 8 February.

The procedure for the meeting was noted.

A report from the Corporate Directors and Director of Finance on the Council’s Financial Plan Update for 2018/19 has been circulated to all councillors.

It can be accessed at the following link.

The draft Wiltshire Council Financial Plan Update for 2018/19 was presented by Councillor Philip Whitehead, Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement, ICT and Operational Assets, and by Michael Hudson, Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer, ahead of its submission to Cabinet on 6 February 2018 and Full Council on 20 February 2018.

The proposals for 2018/19 were considered within the framework of the Medium Term Financial Plan and Efficiency Statement 2017-2020, which had been agreed by Council on 18 October 2016. The budget proposed 2.99% rise in Council Tax and a 3% Social Care Levy. The report from the Financial Planning Task Group in consideration of the budget was also received and considered.

The Committee, along with other members in attendance including all members of the Executive, discussed the proposed budget, and clarification was sought on many issues from the attending Cabinet Members and Corporate Leadership Team, with full details contained in the report as appended to these minutes.

Particular attention was given to savings proposals arising from the transformation of adult social care, reserve levels, commercialism to increase income, reablement to reduce longer term care costs, savings from staff vacancy management and the housing service, how proposed savings would be achieved, impacts upon staffing levels, community grants and adult social care along with other topics as detailed in the appended report.

Resolved:

To note the Financial Plan Update 2018/19 and to refer the comments of the Committee to Cabinet and Full Council for consideration on 6 and 20 February respectively.

To consider the draft Commercial Policy. A report from the Financial Planning Task Group will follow.

The Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan identified £57.5million as a target for savings or more income, With the removal of central government grants it is expected that council’s will become more self-financing. A Commercial Policy and Approach has been drafted to assist the council in developing a new way of working.

Councillor Philip Whitehead, Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement, ICT and Operational Assets, presented the draft policy and approach. The Financial Planning Task Group’s report on the initial draft was also presented, along with details of changes made to the policy arising from the recommendations of the Task Group.

The Committee received the reports and noted their contents. It was emphasised that the new policy would require a cultural change within the organisation, and the Leader of the Council, during the budget discussion, had stated this was being taken into account with the selection and appointment of new Directors. It was also raised the communicating the intent and extent of the new policy to the public would be essential.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To endorse the recommendations of the Financial Planning Task Group and note that those pertaining to the Commercial Policy and Approach document have already been reflected in the revised version.

2)    To endorse the Task Group recommendations 5 and 7, which are as follows:

5.    That the Overview and Scrutiny Learning and Development programme gives OS councillors the specific skills and knowledge required to scrutinise the council’s commercial ventures effectively.

6.    That the Management Committee ask the Financial Planning Task Group to undertake more detailed scrutiny work on the action plans relating to the document once available.

To confirm the date of the next meeting as 9 February 2018, to scrutinise any amendments to the proposed budget from opposition groups or other councillors.

The date of the next meeting was conirmed as 9 February 2018 to consider opposition group or other amendments to the proposed budget.

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

There were no urgent items.