Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting on 8^th November 2024 were agreed and signed as a true record.

Further to minute 22/24 headed ‘Agency Staff and Staff Sickness – Task and Finish Group’, the Board noted that the first meeting of the Task and Finish Group was held on 17^th December 2024 and the next meeting would be held on 3^rd February 2025.

Briefing Note of the Director of Finance and Resources

The Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) received a briefing note of the Director of Finance and Resources that provided the Board with information about the City Council’s public consultation on revenue spending and savings proposals for 2025/26 and future financial years together with the approach in relation to Council Tax and the Adult Social Care precept, to enable them to make any comments as part of the consultation process.

At the meeting of Cabinet on 10th December 2024 (their minute 44/24 referred), approval was given for a seven-week public consultation period on revenue spending and savings proposals for 2025/26 and future financial years together with the approach in relation to Council Tax and the Adult Social Care precept. The consultation would close on 28th January 2025.

The report considered by Cabinet, together with Appendices, were attached as an appendix to the briefing note and provided: Appendix 1 - the Pre-Budget Proposals and Financial Position; Appendix 2 - the Council Tax Support Scheme; Appendix 3 – the Cumulative Equality Impact Assessment; and Appendix 4 - the Equality Impact Assessment on Council Tax Support 25-26.

The Consultation process was supported by further information on the Council’s website.

In considering the briefing note, the Board questioned officers, received responses and discussed matters as summarised below:

·  Provisional settlement awarded which would change the gap in the Council’s finances. The detail of the award was currently being worked through and the final situation not yet known.

·  The inclusion of Care Leavers, who had protected characteristics, in the Budget Proposals Equality Impact Assessment

·  The inclusion of Voluntary Organisations and the Community Sector, in the Council Tax Support Equality Impact Assessment.

·  Settlements were a 2-stage process - provisional figure from Government in December who then entered a consultation process, following which it moves to stage 2. The figures were very unlikely to change between the 2 stages.

·  Currently everyone had to pay at least 20 per cent Council Tax, the proposal would mean that the maximum Council Tax Support for working age households could be reduced from 80 per cent to 75 per cent.

·  Council Tax Support was means tested to assess the level of discount to be applied dependant on circumstances.

·  Consideration be given to those in the £0-£15 category, who appear to be disproportionally affected by the proposed Council Tax Support relief.

·  Consideration be given to the division of categories into those with and those without children, to take into consideration the additional costs of living for those with dependants.

·  Consideration to be given to how the public were made aware of the support that was available to them in respect of discretionary payment relief.

·  Details of the criteria set for the categories of protected characteristics.

·  Council Tax collection rate assumption made, and amount expected from a particular cohort adjusted.

·  The scheme for people of pension age was administered by local authorities but under a national legislative framework with no local discretion.

·  Without the provision of a banded Council Tax Scheme (broad income  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Briefing Note of the Director of Finance and Resources

The Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) received a briefing note of the Director of Finance and Resources that sought the Board’s views on the content of the (Draft) Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2025-2028, attached as an Appendix to the briefing note.

At the meeting of Cabinet on 10th December 2024 (their minute 44/24 referred), approval was given for a seven-week public consultation period on revenue spending and savings proposals for 2025/26 (Pre-Budget Report 25/26) and future financial years together with the approach in relation to Council Tax and the Adult Social Care precept.

Following the consultation and details on the final settlement for Local Government, officers would consult Members the outcome of which would result in final Budget and Council Tax Setting Reports and associated recommendations being considered by Cabinet and Council on 25th February 2025. An updated Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) would be attached to the final Budget Report which would set out the position for the current year, and also a medium-term three-year planning view of the Councils Finances.

The MTFS performed a number of functions, setting out initially the policy assumptions and financial management framework that underpinned the wider Strategy. The Strategy described the Council’s operating environment from a cost and resources perspective and set out to explain the framework for how the Council would balance its short to medium-term budget positions.

As with the last couple of years, it had not been possible to consider this 2025 – 2028 MTFS for longer than a single year with any degree of confidence, due to the last couple of Local Government settlements only considering the following year and had not been able to provide multi-year certainty.  Additionally, the cost environment for all Local Authority Services, but particularly Social Care Services, had been very volatile, reflecting the inflationary environment and the resulting market conditions.

These resourcing and costing uncertainties restricted the Council from being able to produce a medium-term view with any degree of confidence however, the new Government had indicated that they intended to both fundamentally review the funding regime, and seek to provide multiyear funding settlements, details of which will be received in the new year. These changes would need to be reflected in future versions of the Council MTFS.

The Draft Strategy was an early draft of the document that would be appended to the final Budget Report, subject to further information that may come to light as part of the provisional and final settlements for Local Government and the local impact for Coventry City Council.

In considering the briefing note, the Board questioned officers, received responses and discussed matters as summarised below:

·  The settlement for Local Government for year one had already been underwritten, with subsequent awards data driven.

·  Assumptions had been made and set out in Pre-Budget Report in respect of savings that would help to close the financial gap.

·  The Authority had to understand the settlement and work through the detail, this would include consideration of the costs of schemes and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) received a report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator that detailed issues on the Work Programme for meetings of the Board for 2024/25.

RESOLVED that the Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1):

1)  Notes the issues on the Board’s Work Programme for 2024/25.

2)  Agrees that an additional item be added to the Programme ‘Spending, Saving and Council Tax proposals – Report to Review the Outcomes and Impacts Following 12-months of Implementation’.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

There were no other items of public business.