Agenda item

(1)       Mr Abbott and Mr Ward answered questions from Members on the CFE Budget Monitoring report.  Officers explained that the information submitted in this quarterly monitoring report was for the first quarter of the financial year. The challenge with the financial monitoring reports going to the Policy Overview Committees was to align the quarterly monitoring reports with the meetings of the Policy Overview Committees.

(2)       The issues covered by Members included the following:-

·                    Page B1:2 – projected overspend of £433k in relation to legal costs within Children’s Services - it was explained that it reflected care proceedings where cases were often more complex and lengthy.

·                    Page B1:2 – in relation to the £3m projected overspend in relation to support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children – it was explained that this was a continuing issue over the last couple of years and to date the figure was running at £3.6m shortfall. This was a problem that was being taken up with the relevant Government department.

·                    The projected overspend in relation to SEN Home to School Transport on Page B1:2 was corrected to read £935k.

·                    In relation to a question on specific projects, which were dependent on Capital Receipts or required funding, officers confirmed that the monitoring report did not show individual schemes but just the variances in the Capital Programme plus or minus.

·                    In response to a question on what steps were being taken to ease public concerns in relation to the reduction in SEN transport, the Cabinet Member for Operations, Resources and Skills stated that due to an overspend on this budget, Commercial Services had been asked to re-evaluate SEN transport and any anomalies arising from this were being dealt with.

·                    Officers undertook to circulate the current timetable for the Building Schools for the Future funding.

·                    In relation to the underspend on Children’s Centres it was explained that this was due to assumptions made on the opening of Children’s Centres which in some cases had been delayed and therefore the revenue funding was not needed in the current year.  An assurance was given that this funding had to be spent in accordance with the requirements of the grant.

·                    In relation to the underspend on Children’s Centres, it was confirmed that this money would be accruing interest as part of the County Council’s budget and the decision on what the money would be used for would be taken later in the year following discussions at the Schools Forum.

·                    Page B1:13 regarding the Castle Hill PS (Fresh Start Scheme) slippage, Members were assured that all was being done to ensure that this scheme was progressed as quickly as possible but that it was essential that the scheme was one that the school was comfortable with.  Mr Ward undertook to let Members have a detailed update on the current situation with the scheme.

·                    Page B1:19 - in relation to the Bridge Development as Dartford, Mr Ward explained that the two figures given were not comparable; £3.699m was the schools element of development and was part of the total £8.5m.

·                    Mr Abbott undertook to let Mr Hart have the figures for the number of alternative curriculum places for July to September 2007.

(2)       RESOLVED that Members of the Policy Overview Committee were asked to note the projected outturn figures for the directorate as at the first quarter.