To propose the draft financial strategy for 2013/14 to 2015/16 that includes the 2013/14 revenue and capital budget for approval by Council on 18 February, 2013; and

To consider the outcome of a public consultation on proposals for savings, and the recommendations of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, following their meetings on 1 February 2013. 

THAT:

            Cabinet, having considered the outcome of public and stakeholder consultation, recommends to Council on 18 February 2013:

a)            Approval of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) shown in Appendix A, which includes the 2013/14 budget and Treasury Management Strategy and Policy Statement;

b)           Approval of a 1.9% increase in Council Tax for 2013/14; and

c)            Approval of the Capital Programme outlined in paragraph 10.56 of the report;

d)           Cabinet notes the arrangements put in place by the Leadership Team to assure delivery of budget savings and the actions from the Root and Branch Reviews; and

             Cabinet, having considered the recommendations of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

e)            ensures that all statistics used in compiling the budget, e.g. the population figures, are accurate, timely and used correctly;

f)             ensures that all risks arising from the budget are clearly set out in the Risk Register, that the mitigation of the risks is clearly stated and includes a plan, with clear timescales and milestones, for addressing the risks;

g)           in the light of the fact that over fifty per cent of the recovery plan for Social Services for 2012/13 is amber or red, enables more focus to be placed on the plan in order to ensure greater compliance with the Transformation Plan;

h)           ensures that full use be made of the Public Health budget in order to promote preventative measures against ill health and encourage better and more appropriate use of the County’s facilities;

i)             closely monitors the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates to ensure that any adverse impacts on the budget due to reduced levels of income are known and addressed;

ensures that there is sufficient management expertise (either in-house or externally) for the Root and Branch reviews to be implemented across the organisation.

The Council has a legal obligation to set a balanced budget as required by Local Government legislation.

It is open to Cabinet to amend the proposals in the light of the outcome from the consultation exercise or otherwise; however any amendments to increase expenditure in one area must be accompanied by compensatory savings elsewhere to ensure that an overall balanced budget is maintained.