Agenda item

Task Groups, Short Sharp Reviews and Working Groups - Update Reports

a)        Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Wheeler

 

b)        Parking Enforcement Task Group – Chair, Councillor Mark Shurmer

 

c)         Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Andrew Fry

 

d)        Suicide Prevention Scrutiny Task Group – Chair, Councillor Debbie Chance

Minutes:

The following updates were provided in respect of the work of scrutiny Task Groups and Working Groups:

 

a)        Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Jenny Wheeler

 

Councillor Wheeler explained that the group had held a number of meetings since the last meeting of the Committee.  During these meetings the group had considered information about the Section 24 Notice.  Members had concluded that at a challenging time financially for the Council the Budget Scrutiny Working Group had an important role to play in terms of providing assurance to the Executive Committee and scrutinising any plans that might have significant financial implications for the Council.

 

Redditch Borough Council had an Investment and Acquisition Strategy.  Under the terms of this strategy it had been agreed that the Executive Committee should have delegated powers to approve any proposed investments and acquisitions, to ensure that decisions could be taken swiftly in a competitive commercial environment.   So far two investments had been approved by the Executive Committee but neither of these had been subject to budget scrutiny.  The PWLB had increased borrowing costs and the Council was in a challenging financial position.  Councillor Wheeler suggested that in this context the Budget Scrutiny Working Group could add value by scrutinising proposed investments to ensure that the financial projections for each option were sound.

 

The group had also noted that, following the publication of the Section 24 Notice, difficult decisions would need to be made in order to balance the Council’s budget.  To enable Members to make financially viable decisions the group was proposing that additional information needed to be provided in the financial implications of reports to Committee.  Officers noted that it would be helpful for this additional information to be required where appropriate and this suggestion was endorsed.

 

b)        Parking Enforcement Task Group – Chair, Councillor Mark Shurmer

 

Officers explained that it was unlikely that any further meetings of the group would take place until after the general election had occurred on 12th December 2019.  The Chair had therefore requested that the deadline for completion of the review be moved back to 2020.

 

c)         Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Andrew Fry

 

Councillor Fry advised that there had been no meeting of the group since the previous meeting of the Committee.

 

d)        Suicide Prevention Task Group – Chair, Councillor Debbie Chance

 

Councillor Chance explained that there were two meetings of the group due to take place in November.  It was unlikely that the group would hold any meetings in December.  Therefore, the review was likely to be completed in early 2020.

 

RECOMMENDED that

 

1)        business cases for new investment and acquisition opportunities for the Council should all be considered by the Budget Scrutiny Working Group before a decision is taken by the Executive Committee;

 

2)        the financial implications detailed in reports to the Executive Committee should address the following points as a minimum where appropriate:

 

a)          the financial costs of the proposed action;

b)          the source of funding for the proposed action;

c)          potential alternative options and the financial costs of each alternative option; and

d)          the financial costs to the Council where the proposed action deviates from previous Council policy; and

 

RESOLVED that

 

3)        the deadline for completion of the Parking Enforcement Task Group be postponed to early 2020.

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