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    • Agenda and minutes

    Health and Care Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 31st January, 2023 2.00 pm

    • Attendance details
    • Agenda frontsheet PDF 77 KB
    • Agenda reports pack PDF 9 MB
    • Printed minutes PDF 146 KB

    Venue: By Zoom. View directions

    Contact: Wyn Richards  Scrutiny Manager and Head of Democratic Services

    Media

    Items
    No. Item

    1.

    Apologies

    • View the background to item 1.

    To receive apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors B Breeze, G Morgan, J Ewing and J Wilkinson.

     

    An apology for absence was also received from County Councillor P Lewington (Vice-Chair of the Finance Panel, invited to the meeting).

     

    2.

    Disclosures of interest

    • View the background to item 2.

    To receive any disclosures of interest by Members relating to items to be considered at the meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were no declarations of interest from Members relating to items for consideration on the agenda.

     

    3.

    Disclosure of Party Whips

    • View the background to item 3.

    To receive disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member has been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78(3) of the Local Government Measure 2011.

     

    (NB:  Members are reminded that, under Section 78, Members having been given a prohibited party whip cannot vote on a matter before the Committee.)

    Minutes:

    The Committee did not receive any disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member had been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78(3) of the Local Government Measure 2011.

    4.

    Draft 2023 - 2024 Budget pdf icon PDF 85 KB

    • View the background to item 4.

    To scrutinise the Draft 2023- 2024 Budget.

     

    Attached, in relation to the Cabinet’s Budget proposals to Council are the following documents:

    Additional documents:

    • 102 Childrens Use of Income , item 4. pdf icon PDF 219 KB
    • 104,105 Childrens Third party contracts , item 4. pdf icon PDF 75 KB
    • 109 Adults Full year effect of the part year savings , item 4. pdf icon PDF 54 KB
    • 110 Adults Direct Payments , item 4. pdf icon PDF 67 KB
    • 111 Adults Where People Live (with a focus on people returning to Powys) , item 4. pdf icon PDF 69 KB
    • There are a further 29 documents.View the full list of documents for item 4.

    Minutes:

    Documents Considered:

    ·       Draft 2023 – 2024 Budget

    ·       Scrutiny Report – Budget Questions

    ·       Cabinet Report

    ·       Mid Term Financial Strategy

    ·       Finance Resource Model

    ·       Cost Reductions

    ·       Fees and Charges Register

    ·       Fees and Charges Report

    ·       Pressures

    ·       Reserves Policy

    ·       Capital and Treasury Management Strategy

    ·       Impact Assessment – Council Tax and Overall Budget

    ·       Budget Survey 2022 Report

    ·       Individual Impact Assessments relating to the Cost Reduction Proposals

     

    Issues Discussed:

    ·       The proposal included a Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for a five year period from 2023 to 2028 and a financial resource model, a draft revenue budget and capital programme for the same five year period.

    ·       The budget plan was developed in an extremely challenging economic situation, linked to inflation and the impact of the war in Ukraine on prices.

    ·       There was an expectation of a challenging period over the next five years with public sector spending under challenge for many years.

    ·       A provisional settlement had been received from Welsh Government with the final settlement confirmed on 7th March, 2023.

    ·       Within the settlement there was an element relating to social care. This recognised the Council’s role in supporting residents which included funding to support the continued roll out of the real living wage. However, in terms of the sum allocated (£70m across Wales) Powys’ share was unlikely to meet the full cost for delivery by the Council. The total pressure was included in the budget plan.

    ·       In terms of the settlement Powys had received an increase of 8.7% equating to an additional £18.298m. There was a proposal to increase Council Tax by 5% but also with a requirement for over £16m savings.

     

    Questions:

     

    Question

    Response

    What is the specific funding in the settlement for social care.

    Officer Response:

    The sum is not identified separately in the settlement, but is estimated around £2.8m. The cost to deliver the real living wage across all providers is over £4m so the sum received will fall short of what is required.

    A figure of 3% is included for pay award for next year. This is different to figure submitted to the Cabinet

    Officer Response:

    A 3% figure was built into individual service budgets. The difference was held corporately but would be allocated amongst services together with an adjustment for National Insurance contributions.

    Will this additional allocation be provided before the Council meeting in February

    Officer Response:

    The budgets are not amended as yet as the Council was waiting for the final pay settlement to be confirmed. However, the Finance Service was reviewing this as Members would want to know the effect on individual service budgets.

     

    The Standard Spending Assessment was an indicator of spend but it would be for each Council to determine spending for individual services.

    Is rurality taken into consideration in the formula

    Officer Response:

    Probably not as much as rural authorities would like. There were some elements for rurality in the social services data which was changed to recognise the costs of delivering services in a rural authority.

     

    Children’s Services:

    ·       A review of the budget was undertaken in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.