Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2013 be approved as a correct record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Tom Davey.

None.

Details are appended of the questions asked of, and the answers given by the Chairman. There were no supplementary questions.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report, Cabinet

RESOLVED 

That with the Judicial Review appeal against the Council’s NSCSO procurement pending, Cabinet considered two scenarios in relation to the Council’s immediate budgetary position and agreed the recommendations set out below accordingly:

Scenario 1

Should the Council be successful and able to enter into the NSCSO and DRS contracts in the Judicial Review appeal, Cabinet agrees the following:

1.    To note that a draw-down from reserves to amend the 2013/14 current year budget will come back to Cabinet as set out in section 9.4;

2.    That the process for setting the 2014/15 and 2015/16 budget proposals is agreed as set out in section 9.5, with a draft 2014-15 budget presented to Cabinet in November, to be finalised next February;

3.    To note the potential budget gap facing the Council over the period from 2016 to 2020, based on a number of assumptions around the future level of Government grant and the potential demand pressure on services,  as set out in section 9.6; and

4.    That the process for developing the Council’s response to longer term financial challenges until the end of the decade, as a result of slower than expected economic growth and continued Government austerity, is agreed as set out in section 9.6.

Scenario 2

Should the outcome of the Judicial Review appeal be such that the Council is unable to enter into the DRS and NSCSO contracts in the foreseeable future, Cabinet agrees the recommendations above and also:

5.    Instructs officers to come back to Cabinet meeting on 24^th September 2013 with proposals for achieving one off savings of £15m to Council budgets by April 2014 in order to fund investment and transformation of NSCSO and DRS services, and proposals for a further £10m a year of on-going savings in order to plug the gap in the current MTFS.

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report,

RESOLVED

That, subject to Cabinet members being given opportunity to consider the proposed Articles of Association, Cabinet approves the formation of a company limited by shares (the NewCo) wholly owned by the Council in order to facilitate the formation of a Joint Venture Company with Capita Symonds Ltd (as previously approved) and instructs officers to take all necessary actions.

There were no such items.