Agenda item

(Item 6 – report by Mr J Simmonds, Cabinet member for Finance and Business Support and Mr A Wood, Corporate Director of Finance and Procurement)

Cabinet received a report on the results of the budget monitoring work completed since the previous report was considered by Cabinet in December 2012

Mr Simmonds introduced the report for Cabinet and drew attention to the following points:

• He emphasised the importance of the monitoring reports in the formulation budget that had been considered in the previous item.,  Without the careful monitoring of performance, trends and need the assumptions on which the budget was formed would not be possible.
• The Gross underspend to date was £6.7million, an increase of £1.5million, and by he end of the year it was predicted that it would stand at approximately £7.1million.  He praised this achievement in light of the difficult savings already made.
• The Education Learning and Skills Directorate underspend was up by £500,000, largely accredited to the savings achieved since the introduction of the new Home to School transport policy and the popularity of the Freedom pass.  As a member who represented a rural area he did note the importance of provision for those areas.  These savings were offset slightly by an increase in SEN Home to School spending.  This increase reflected an increase in those presenting for and receiving help.  The council would continue to seek better and more efficient ways of providing help for these families, including, when the circumstances are appropriate, personalised budgets.
• Specialist Children’s Services showed some over budget spend, largely as a result of legal costs incurred for assistance with cases being pursued and in relation to the support for ARE asylum seekers, a cost which was currently the centre of negotiations with Government.
• Adult Services costs had been reduced over the last few months as a result of a reduction in need, this trend had ceased and was a reminder that predictions in the budget must be carefully monitored.

In addition, Mr Simmonds congratulated Kent County Council on providing, in times of austerity, a Capital Programme valued at £600million.

Mr Sweetland, Cabinet Member for Highways Environment and Waste, spoke further on the comments made by Mr Simmonds about provision of bus services in rural areas.  He reminded cabinet that 200 rural bus routes were subsidised by Kent County Council and the 2013/14 budget contained £6million commitment to continue to do so, this had been protected because as Mr Simmonds had rightly said the Freedom Pass and other concessionary schemes were useful only where routes existed.

The popularity of the Freedom Pass continued, with 27,500 now in use.  Most recipients paid £100 to receive the pass and this price had been frozen within the 2013/14 and the support for those from low income families would also remain in place for the next financial year.

It was RESOLVED that:

RECORD OF DECISION