Agenda item

Report of Chief Finance Officer and Head of Finance and Procurement

Summary

To review the Council’s General Fund Budget, Capital Programme, Earmarked Reserves and General Fund Balances to ensure the robustness of the estimates included and to seek formal adoption of all parts of the Council’s financial plans and Corporate Plan for the 2013/14 budget year.

Recommendations

Council is recommended:

(1)               To consider the contents of this report in approving the General Fund Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2013/14 and to formally record that consideration.

(2)               To approve the 2013/14 General Fund Budget and Capital Programme proposed by the Executive on 4 February 2013 and detailed in Appendix 1 and 3.

(3)               To approve the Collection Fund Estimates contained in Appendix 2

(4)               To approve the Corporate Plan as detailed in Appendix 4 of the Budget Book.

(5)               To approve the Treasury Strategy as detailed in Appendix 5.

(6)               To approve the appended statement of pay policy for 2013/14 as required by the Act and detailed in Appendix 6.

The Chairman outlined that it was customary during the budget debate to suspend standing orders with regard to the duration of speeches by proposers of motions and amendments, also the order of dealing with and speaking on amendments. It was also agreed that the Estimates would be taken as one integrated set of financial figures and that the revenue and capital estimates, the Collection Fund Estimates 2013/2014 and the Corporate Plan and the Service Plans would not be debated separately.

Members signified agreement that  speeches made by Group Leaders or any Member proposing the Budget, an alternative Budget, any amendments or commenting on the Budget would not be time limited.

The Chief Finance Officer (Director of Resources) and Head of Finance and Procurement submitted a report to review the Council’s General Fund Budget, Capital Programme, Earmarked Reserves and General Fund Balances to ensure the robustness of the estimates included and sought formal adoption of all parts of the Council’s financial plans and Corporate Plan for the 2013/14 budget year.

The Lead Member for Financial Management, Councillor Atack, introduced the report and set out the proposed budget for the year. In introducing the report, the Lead Member for Financial Management proposed an amendment to the recommendations in relation to the 2013/14 Pay Policy which would  ensure that all staff received a living wage.

The Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group responded to the budget. The budget was debated at length by Members, during which no amendments were moved.

Resolved

(1)               That the contents of the report in approving the General Fund Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2013/14 be noted.

(2)               That the 2013/14 General Fund Budget and Capital Programme proposed by the Executive on 4 February 2013 contained in the annexes to the minutes (as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(3)               That the Collection Fund Estimates (annex to the minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(4)               That the Corporate Plan (annex to the minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(5)               That the Treasury Strategy, including the prudential indicators, annex to the minutes (as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(6)               That the statement of pay policy for 2013/14 as required by the Act, subject to the inclusion of additional payments to ensure all staff receive a living wage, annex to the minutes (as set out in the Minute Book) be approved and that authority be delegated to the Head of Transformation to implement the living wage for all staff.