Agenda item

(Would Members please bring their copy of the draft budget to be circulated on 7 January to the meeting.)

 (1)      The Committee considered the Children, Families and Education Directorates Draft Budget proposals set out in the Draft Budget 2009-10 and the Draft Medium Term Financial Plan 2009-2012 and also the report which specifically relating to the key areas of these documents for this Directorate.   Mr Dance and Officers answered questions from Members about the following issues:-

(a)       LAC (Looked after Children) and Personal Education Allowances

(2)       In response to a question from Mrs Angell on the funding shortfall to required to fully satisfy the commitments in the LAC pledge, Mr Abbott explained that when the funding was announced by government, £100m was to be allocated nationally, KCC estimated that it would receive £2m and the pledge was funding on that basis with some additional KCC funding.  However, the grant received was £700K, therefore increased additional funding was allocated in the budget so that KCC could fulfil the pledge.  Mr Abbott undertook to provide Mrs Angell with details of the additional funding.

(b)       Income to be generated by C, F & E units

(3)       In response to a question from Mrs Angell, Mr Abbott stated that the £402K was what two units believed could be raised as income through charging schools.

(c)        Freedom Pass

(4)       Mr Abbott explained that the Directorate did not receive an income from the Freedom Pass but in the budget there were savings, which should be generated from a reduction in the number of season tickets that the Directorate needed to purchase, the savings were based on the figures from the pilots and discussion with Commercial Services and E & R.

(d)       Practical Cooking Spaces in schools

(4)       In response to a question from Mrs Angell, Mr Ward stated that there were seven Kent schools which would receive a grant of £300k each for this purpose.  He undertook to supply Members with the details of which schools would receive this grant.

(e)       Special Schools – major investment deferred

(5)       Mrs Angell expressed concern about the delay that would be caused by the decision to defer major investment in six special schools where work had not commenced and for this work to be funded from Building Schools for the Future (BSF).  Mr Dance explained that this decision had been the taken to make best use of existing capital resources.  This had been discussed with the relevant Head Teachers.  Work was being done to support the individual schools to find building that they could use in the interim.  He emphasised that rolling out the special schools review was his highest priority. 

(6)       In response to a request from Mrs Dean, Mr Dance agreed to visit West Malling Primary School and look at the accommodation for pupils.

(7)       In response to a question from Mrs Dean, Mr Ward confirmed that the Special Units did not automatically fall with BSF, however, some secondary school units would be picked up under BSF.

(8)       Mr Ward undertook to let Members have a list of the six special schools concerned.

(f)         Corporate Loan (MTP – page 50)

(9)       In response to a question from Mr Gough, Mr Abbott explained that the Corporate Loan was a means of smoothing cash flow in the MTP by the use of a small corporate loan.

(10)     RESOLVED that that the Budget 2009-10 and Medium Term Plan 2009 to 2012 for the Children, Families and Education portfolios along with the responses made to the questions from Members be noted.