RESOLVED:

A.    That the proposed new savings to meet the non-Covid gap be agreed, and referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission; and that these savings be ratified at a future Cabinet meeting, with the draft Equality Assessments (EAs) subject to scrutiny comments.

B.    That it be noted that any proposed amendments to previously approved savings previously agreed (replacements and deferrals) will be reported to the Cabinet meeting in December.

C.   That the decision in principle to continue with the Business Rate Pool for 2021/22 be noted.

D.   That the summary of the COVID-19 Impact, along with details of funding received to date, at Appendix 2 be noted.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance presented items 8 and 9 together.  He thanked all the officers involved in the reports and in his time as Cabinet Member for Finance.

He gave an overview of the impact of Covid-19 on the Council’s finances and highlighted as a result the deficit of £10.7m, which represented more than 10% variance.  If Covid-19 had not happened, the Council would have seen a £3.5m surplus this year.  The financial monitoring report also showed a deficit of £27m in the Dedicated Schools Grant, due to the lack of financial support from the Government.  He advised the Cabinet that if the Government did not fund local services in the way that they had promised to do at the start of the pandemic, the Council would face difficult choices as it would be facing a budget gap of £14m.  The package of savings presented at this stage for consideration by scrutiny were the non-Covid related savings, those which would have been required anyway.  If further cuts to services were required in addition to these, it would be due to the Government not properly funding the pandemic response provided by the Council. 

The Chair thanked the Deputy Leader for his work as Cabinet Member for Finance and the officers involved in the reports.

The Director of Corporate Services advised that there had been some improvements in income just prior to the second national lockdown and that there could be changes in the figures in the next financial monitoring report.  The local authority financial settlement announcements from the Government were likely to be late in December, which would leave little time for officers to work through what the gaps might be going forward.  The savings would be presented to scrutiny and the equality assessments would be reported to Cabinet in December along with any further adjustments for consideration by scrutiny in the new year.

The Chair thanked the Director for her contribution.

RESOLVED:

A.    That the proposed new savings to meet the non-Covid gap be agreed, and referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission; and that these savings be ratified at a future Cabinet meeting, with the draft Equality Assessments (EAs) subject to scrutiny comments.

B.    That it be noted that any proposed amendments to previously approved savings previously agreed (replacements and deferrals) will be reported to the Cabinet meeting in December.

C.   That the decision in principle to continue with the Business Rate Pool for 2021/22 be noted.

D.   That the summary of the COVID-19 Impact, along with details of funding received to date, at Appendix 2 be noted.