Agenda item

(would Members please bring their copy of the draft budget circulated on 7 January 2009)

(1)       The Committee considered the Chief Executive’s Department’s (CED) 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 was circulated specifically relating to the key areas of these documents for this Department.

(2)       Mr Chard, Ms McMullan and Mr Wood introduced the MTP and the Revenue Budget and Capital Budget for the Chief Executive’s Department and  then answered questions from Members about the following issues:-

(a)       Bridging loans to other portfolios

(3)               In response to a question from Mr Gough, Mr Wood gave an explanation of the way in which the bridging loans to other portfolios was reflected in the MTP. 

(b)       Policy and Performance – savings

(4)  In response to a question from Mr Gough, Mr Cockburn explained that the base budget of the Policy Unit was the staff costs.  Mr Gilroy stated that the way in which the policy unit would be re-structured would mean that there were only a few officers in the core who were permanent, and the rest would come in when required from the Directorates.  Also it was hoped that there would be private sector and government secondments in and out of the Policy Unit.

(c)        IMG on MTP

(5)       Members were pleased to see how many of the suggestions made by Members of the IMG on MTP had been taken up in the draft budget.

(d)       Pay

(6)       In response to a question from Mr Smyth it was confirmed that the budgeted figure for the staff cost of living increase in 2010/11 was 2%.

(e)       Prices in contracts

(7)       Mr Wood explained that the figure in the budget for 2009/10 price increases was based on the best current estimate. In response to a question Mr Wood said that there was provision for a particular rent review which was due for renewal in 2010/11 and the assumption had been made that there would be a modest increase.

(8)       Mr Gilroy identified particular cost pressures in social care and special needs education transport, although these do not directly impact on the CED. 

(f)         Delegation of Corporate Budgets

(9)       In response to a question from Mr Smyth on what would happen if it was not possible to reach a unanimous decision on a delivery of a specific support service, Mr Wood explained that there are protocols which detailed how this would be resolved.   One of the objectives in delegating the budget was to improve the quality and cost of services provided, through good discussion and negotiation with service directorates.  It was not good value for money for one directorate to opt out and have services supplied separately, hence the need for unanimous agreement to fundamentally change service delivery/provider.

(g)       Vacancy Management

(10)     Mrs Dean asked what the figure for vacancy management for each portfolio was based on.  As Ms Beer was not present at this point in the meeting it was agreed that a written response would be provided by Ms Beer.

(h)       Unspecified savings

(11)     Mrs Dean asked whether the information on the headings which were currently showing as “unspecified savings” would be available by the time that the County Council considered the budget and set the Council Tax.  Ms McMullan and Mr Wood stated that work was continuing to ensure that as much of the unspecified savings as possible would be identified by the time that the draft budget was published for County Council, including those within the CED. 

(i)         Public Health

(12)     Mr Burgess mentioned the importance of the public health agenda for the people of Kent.  Mr Marsh reminded Members of the benefits to be gained from this for the people of Kent, KCC and its partners. 

(j)         Small Businesses

(13)     In response to a question from Mr Burgess on the way that KCC supports small businesses, Mr Gilroy gave the example of the Commercial Services’ Lease Car service which ordered all its cars from Kent distributors. There were a lot of other services that KCC sub-contracted to small businesses in the County.

(14)     RESOLVED that that the Budget 2009-10 and Medium Term Plan 2009 to 2012 for the Corporate Services Portfolio, along with the responses made to the questions from Members, be noted.