Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Khales Uddin Ahmed, Dr Emma Jones, Ahmed Omer and Carli Harper-Penman.

No declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests were made.

There were no announcements from the Head of Paid Service or from the Speaker of the Council.

Councillor Rachael Saunders referred to statements made by Councillor Alibor Choudhury at the last meeting that related to Councillor Ann Jackson.

Councillor Alibor Choudhury apologised to Councillor Ann Jackson for the statements he had made and any distress caused.

The Council Procedure Rules provide for the Budget Council Meeting to receive a maximum of three petitions, which must relate to the Council’s budget or the setting of the Council Tax.  

The deadline for receipt of petitions for this meeting is noon on Friday 28^th February 2014.  At the time of agenda despatch no petitions had been received. 

There were no petitions.

To consider the revised proposals of the Mayor and Executive in relation to the Council’s Budget and Council Tax 2014/15.

The first Budget Council Meeting on 26^th February 2014 agreed a substantive motion that included an amendment to the Mayor’s budget proposals. In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and statutory provisions, the Mayor has been formally advised of the changes agreed by the Council and within a period of five working days must reconsider his budget proposals in accordance with those and submit his final budget proposals to the second Budget Council Meeting.  Those revised proposals may at the Mayor’s discretion include some or all of the changes agreed by the Council at the first budget meeting.

The attached report sets out the revised budget amendment adopted by the Council on 26^th February 2014.  The Mayor’s revised budget proposals will be circulated to Councillors as soon as they are available.

Officer advice on the Mayor’s budget proposals and on each element of the agreed budget amendment has been received by Members in the agenda for the first Budget Council Meeting and the papers tabled at that meeting.  Members are requested to bring the Budget Council Pack and tabled papers with them to the meeting.  

The Mayor’s response to the budget amendments agreed by the Council at the Budget Meeting on 26^th February were tabled.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman introduced, and Councillor Alibor Choudhury moved, the budget proposals of the Mayor and Executive as set out in the tabled report. Councillor Ohid Ahmed seconded the proposals. The Mayor stated that he and the Executive were unable to accept any of the amendments proposed by Council on 26^th February 2014, with the reasons set out in the tabled report.

Councillor Carlo Gibbs moved and Councillor Sirajul Islam seconded, the Council’s amended budget proposals as agreed at the meeting on 26 February 2014 and set out in the agenda.

During debate, Councillor Rachael Saunders moved and Councillor Bill Turner seconded a procedural motion ‘that under Procedure Rule 15.11.4, the question be now put’.  The procedural motion was put to the vote and was defeated.

Following further debate the Council’s amended budget proposals were put to the vote. They did not achieve the necessary two-thirds majority of those present and voting as required by the regulations, with 22 Members voting in favour, 18 against and 6 abstentions as set out below:-

The Mayor and Executive’s budget proposals were therefore adopted.  Accordingly it was:-

RESOLVED

General Fund Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2014/15; Capital Programme and Medium Term Finance Plan 2014-2017; Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2014/15

1.         To agree a General Fund revenue budget of £293.933m and a total Council Tax Requirement for Tower Hamlets in 2014/15 of £66,396,000 as set out in the table below.