Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Administration outlining the deliberations of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Planning & Finance) following their discussions with the Executive Councillor for Finance.

Agreed not to approve the request by the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Planning & Finance) for consultation additional to that already inherent in existing budget and MTP processes and asked the Executive Councillor for Finance to convey to the Panel the reasons for this decision.

With the assistance of a report by the Head of Administration (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet were acquainted with the deliberations of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Planning & Finance), following their discussions with the Executive Councillor for Finance on the Budget, Medium Term Plan and Financial Strategy.

Having noted the background to the Panel’s request to be consulted on any future reductions in expenditure and in noting the existing processes and roles for scrutiny in preparing, considering and reviewing the Budget & Medium Term Plan, the facility to “call-in” executive decisions, the need to avoid conflict with the non-executive powers and duties of other Panels, in particular those of the Employment Panel and the requirement to identify and implement efficiency savings as and when opportunities arose, it was

RESOLVED

a)  that the request by the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Planning & Finance) for consultation additional to that already inherent in existing budget, MTP  and other processes be not approved; and

b)  that the Executive Councillor for Finance be requested to convey to the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Planning & Finance) the decision referred to in (a) above and the reasons therefore.