Agenda item

Report by the Chief Executive.

29.1     The Assistant Chief Executive introduced the report. The report sets out the Committee’s involvement in the Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) budget setting process. The report seeks the Committee’s views on the areas for further discussion that could be included in the work programme, comments on the process and any changes that the Committee might wish recommend.

29.2     The report also recommends some enhancements to the Committee’s involvement in the RPPR process. It is proposed that the Committee considers the year end Council Monitoring report and the State of the County, report which sets out the policy developments that are likely to affect the Council, at the July Place Scrutiny Committee meeting. It is also proposed that the Committee hold an annual work planning day in September. This has entailed moving some of the Place Scrutiny Committee dates to facilitate this enhanced involvement.

29.3     The Committee discussed the report and a summary of the comments made is given below.

29.4     The Committee asked it if would be possible to include consideration of capital projects in the Committee’s RPPR work (e.g. the Emergency Active Travel funding; the funding of Electric Vehicle charging points etc.). The Assistant Chief Executive responded that scrutiny could explore the capital programme as part of the RPPR process, and there might be some benefit to doing this at an earlier stage. The Committee could include items on capital projects in the work programme and then feed them into the RPPR process.

29.5     The Committee commented that it would like more information on the bigger picture which frames the budget decision and allocations, and the stages where scrutiny can have the most impact in helping to form budget proposals and budget amendments. The Assistant Chief Executive outlined that the State of the County report in July aims to set the scene on what the forthcoming budget pressures are likely to be and the policy context for the budget setting process. This links into what the budget priorities might be for the coming financial year and the subsequent budget proposals. The Committee can consider this at the July meeting and then include items in the work programme.

29.6     The Committee asked if it would receive feedback on how the unallocated reserve is to be spent. The Assistant Chief Executive outlined that the process for developing the detailed proposals for this one-off expenditure is still being worked through and this will include how to involve scrutiny. If the Scrutiny Committee has ideas on how this money could be spent, the work programme is a good place to develop them and then feed them into the RPPR process as it progresses for consideration by Cabinet.

29.7     The Committee commented that it was happy with the proposals to enhance the Committee’s involvement in the RPPR process as outlined in the report.

29.8     The Committee RESOLVED to:

1) Note the committee’s input into the RPPR process; and

2) Agreed the proposed enhancements to the RPPR scrutiny arrangements set out in paragraph

2.6 of the report.