Aelodau'r Pwyllgor yn rhoi eu barn yn rhan o broses cam 1 o broses ymgynghori ar Gyllideb 2022/23.
Cofnodion:
With the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, the Service Director – Finance & Improvement Services provided Members with an overview of the 2022/23 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation and updated Committee on the following areas:
· General Approach for 2021/22
· Consultation
o Council Budget 2021/22
o The Council’s Priorities
o Council Tax Reduction Scheme
Following the update, the Service Director indicated that the overview intended to assist Members in formulating their responses to a number of questions to be posed to the Committee, in line with its Terms of Reference and as a consultee as part of the 2022/23 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation process.
The Service Director sought feedback from the Committee on a number of areas and the views of Members are noted below.
Before asking Members about each particular area, the Service Director invited feedback from the Committee and Councillor Cullwick queried whether the social care increase included inflation, if the spend on social care was around £185M and whether it is expected to increase exponentially over the next few years. Councillor Cullwick also questioned what the total spend was on heritage and culture and youth provisions. The Service Director advised the Committee that the social care budget does include inflation and confirmed the spend on social care to be correct. The Service Director also advised that the Council is facing an unprecedented period on the back of the pandemic and that the Adult and Social Care sector is up against significant challenges, however, he reassured Members that the Council has a plan in place in terms of managing demand and social care and focusing on early intervention and prevention. There will be a requirement for the Council to invest further in its social care services and to engage with the Welsh Government and that this will be appropriately reflected in the budget for the forthcoming year. In terms of culture, the youth service, and music and culture, the Service Director advised that he would provide the Committee with a breakdown in terms of the £2.6M. The Service Director further advised that there will be hidden costs to the pandemic and that youth services and cultural services will be a part of those arrangements.
Discussions ensued and Councillor Caple praised the report and noted that Council Tax rises in RCT have been the lowest in Wales over the past 4 years. Councillor Caple noted that the approach maintains frontline services and noted that this approach is the right way forward for RCT Council.
Discussions continued and Councillor Edwards sought further clarification on the budget for music services. The Service Director noted that the budget for music services is £130,000 and is very much a partnership between the Local Authority and Schools.
The Chair continued discussion and queried how the budget for services such as meals on wheels compares to last year’s budget and how the rate of expenditure is measured. The Chair also queried the reason for the shortage in the green recycling bags and noted that many residents in his area cannot obtain these bags. The Service Director advised the Committee that where the Council removes a frontline service provision that is part of the consultation process and usually alternative provisions are put into place to ensure that certain services can still be accessed. In terms of the recycling bags, the Service Director advised that the budget I for £22M and that the budget would be better placed at around £30M and that the additional cost is being funded by the Welsh Government due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In terms of availability, the Service Director advised that he would make enquiries and report back to the Committee.
The Service Director continued with the Power Point presentation and sought feedback from the Committee on a number of areas:
· Council Tax and Efficiencies:
Mr Fish, the Parent/Governor Representative, raised a query in respect of Council Tax and asked if the 2.6% increase includes the Welsh Government Settlement or if it could be further reduced following the announcement by Welsh Government. The Service Director advised that the 2.6% includes a range of budget settlements and it was noted that the provisional Local Government Settlement will be announced on the 21st December and should that be even more positive then that will be taken into account notwithstanding other significant budget challenges. The Service Director confirmed that the proposals for 2022/23 are on the basis that the pay award would be fully covered.
Councillor Yeo wished to place on record his thanks to all Council staff and the excellent job that they do. He also noted that all services are becoming more efficient without impacting on frontline services and wished to thank all staff for delivering excellent efficiency savings in the circumstances.
Councillor Cullwick noted the need to build up Youth Services provisions and queried what impact this would have on the 2.65% increase. The Service Director advised that every 1% increase in Council Tax generates £9000,000 in resources for the Local Authority.
In respect of Council Tax rises, Councillor Yeo cautioned the situation with the economy generally and noted that a significant rise in Council Tax would have a significant impact on residents and therefore he cautioned the need to find the right balance. Councillor Thomas agreed and noted the need to remember how much Council Tax can raise in respect of the budget and the importance of efficiency savings.
· School Budget:
Mr Fish, the Parent/Governor Representative, noted that the increase wasn’t fully funded this year and the teacher’s increase was subsequently settled at 1.75%, of which the Welsh Government picked up 0.75%, RCT picked up 0.5% and that the additional 0.5% has been passed on to the increasingly pressured school budgets. Mr Fish therefore sought reassurance that the wording put out to the public is that resources will fully cover pay increases next year.
Councillor Edwards emphasised the difficulties faced by children and young people during the pandemic and noted that the school budget should be sufficiently resourced moving forward and that it should be a Council priority.
· Social Care Budget:
In respect of the Social Care budget, Councillor Fox emphasised the need for continued investment in this area and noted the need for more care staff.
Mr Craig Jones, GMB Representative, agreed that frontline workers should be prioritised and that this funding should come from the UK Government.
Councillor Yeo praised the inclusion of the question on Social Care and noted that it is a challenging area for the whole country and that investment in this area is crucial.
· Council Service Priorities:
Councillor Cullwick referenced the important service areas of culture, tourism and heritage, which the current spend is £2.6M. Councillor Cullwick noted the huge importance of these services over the next few years.
· Council Reserves:
Councillor Thomas praised the way in which the Council uses its reserves and the way in which it replenishes them. Committee Members agreed.
Council’s Corporate Plan
The Service Director outlined the Council’s Corporate Plan and asked Members for feedback on the Council’s aims and purpose, which is noted below:
· Corporate Plan:
Members noted their agreement with the Council’s Corporate Plan.
· Corporate Priorities:
Members noted their agreement with the Council’s Corporate Plan Priorities.
· Cross Cutting Principles:
The Chair noted that as we use more of our digital services and work virtually over the next few year, it would be useful to see the forward plan in terms of how we use Council buildings and that perhaps some buildings will no longer be viable to maintain.
In terms of other services, such as youth provisions, the Chair also noted that the Council should be looking to provide more outdoor experiences for wider areas of the County Borough and to engage more with the younger generation.
The Chair noted the need for an overarching report to deal with these issues going forward.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
· Extended Payments
· Disregard War disablement Pensions/ War Widow’s Pensions
· Backdated Claims
The Service Director outlined all three of the above schemes and Members agreed that they should continue.
In respect of the extended payments, the Chair queried what the cost would be if this was extended from 4 weeks to 6 weeks. The Service Director advised that he would obtain the information and report back to the Committee.
Following discussion, it was RESOLVED that the views of Members as outlined above be fed into the consultation process.