Issue - meetings

This report presents the service and financial performance of the Resources Directorate at outturn 2005/6.

(i)      That the outturn draft financial position be noted;

(ii)         That the Executive be recommended to approve the revenue carry forward bids included in Annex 2 of the report and the capital slippage outlined in paragraph 4.7.2;

(iii)    That the outturn performance achievements and comments be noted.

Members received a report which presented the service and financial performance of the Resources Directorate at outturn 2005/6.

It was reported that Resources had underspent the directorate revenue budget by £994k during 2005/06.  This represented a 1.7% variance on the expenditure budget of £56.9m.  A detailed list of significant variances on Resources budgets was shown in Annex 1 of the report and a list of carry forward requests totalling £721k was included in Annex 2.

Paragraph 4.7.2 of the report explained that Resources had a total underspend on capital schemes of £773k, of which the two main elements were:

·        A £901k underspend on the Property Services capital programme, partly due to restricting expenditure in order to address the underachievement of capital receipts in 2005/06, as some works had been moved into 2006/07 in order to release the pressure on funding the capital programme.  In order to ensure that the Property schemes could be completed it was necessary to slip the full £901k into 2006/07.

·        An overspend of £115k against the capital budget of £500k for the purchase of IT equipment. This budget was added to the capital programme in September 2005 and was an estimate.  The actual spend on IT equipment had been £615k.  The cost was being funded by prudential borrowing and the additional revenue costs of borrowing the extra £115k were being financed by a corresponding underspend on IT lease budgets.

Within the Directorate considerable achievements had been made in improving key Performance Indicators (PI’s), such as significantly reducing staff sickness, significantly improving disabled access to Council buildings, improving staff satisfaction, and good Customer First statistics.  In addition there were significant improvements in processing Benefits claims, and Council Tax arrears were reduced for the first time in many years.  Both Council Tax and Business Rate collection improved, although in year collection was still below target and further efforts were needed to improve these PI’s further.

Members noted that the figures in paragraph 4.10.2, relating to the staff survey, only showed the percentage increase in performance, not the actual level of performance, and requested that additional information be circulated to put them in context.

Members also requested a progress report on the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) access works.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

(i)      That the outturn draft financial position be noted;

(ii)         That the Executive be recommended to approve the revenue carry forward bids included in Annex 2 of the report and the capital slippage outlined in paragraph 4.7.2;

(iii)    That the outturn performance achievements and comments be noted.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and the above suggested decisions endorsed.

REASON:In accordance with budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.