Agenda item
Performance and Corporate Revenue Budget Monitoring - Performance to 30th June 2009
(Time allocated – 30 minutes)
Minutes:
The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive/ Director of Resources, drawing together the performance monitoring reports on the Strategic Indicators, General Fund Revenue Budget and the Housing Revenue Account.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Lead Member Resources and Performance, introduced the document and commented that it provided an update on performance indicators. He pointed out that indicators shown as being at risk of failing were:
- Strategic 101 – Percentage of Undisputed Invoices Paid on Time
- Strategic 103 – Percentage of the top 5% of Local Authority Staff who are from an Ethnic Minority
- Strategic 104 – Percentage of the top paid 5% of Staff who have a Disability
- Strategic 202 – Number of Physical Visits to Libraries Premises per 1000 Population
Members raised a number of questions expressing concern in connection with the following issues, to which Officers made the responses shown:
· the overspend in communications – this was not a result of publishing East End Life;
· the need for a year on year comparison of crime and arson figures taking account of seasonal variations – details would be included in future reports;
· Strategic 226, service charge debt outstanding – this was a statistical anomaly as the 2009/10 service charge estimate of £8m had been raised very near the financial cut-off point for the period and a recovery strategy was now fully operational to reach target by year end;
· implications if the capital treasury management shortfall increases – it was hoped that interest rates would not fall further and the position was being managed as best possible without risk to the Council’s finances – in any event, sufficient reserves/contingencies were available;
· continued low performance on anti-social behaviour – a reply would be forwarded to Councillor Jackson;
· payment of undisputed invoices was consistently off target – this continued to be problematic due to the large number of individual documents flowing into the organisation but a project had started this week to develop a new system to improve control on paperwork and reduce the number of items submitted;
· 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEETS) – an increase could be expected in the summer months with school leavers and the figures were expected to reduce around October;
· Children’s Social Care overspend – this was an area where risks could not be taken to ensure proper safeguarding of children and more agency Social Work staff had been employed.
The Chair expressed the view that the percentage of residents satisfied with repairs should be added to the list of indicators shown as being at risk of failing as outlined above by Councillor Ohid Ahmed.
RESOLVED:
(1) That the performance information contained in Appendix 1 of the report be noted.
(2) That the projected outturn for Directorate service budgets and for the total General Fund net expenditure budget for 2009/10 in section 4 and Appendices 2A-G and Appendices 3A-C of the report be noted.
(3) That the budget target adjustments and virements as detailed in section 6 and Appendices 4A-E of the report be agreed.
(4) That the 2009/10 Savings Targets as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report be noted.
(5) That the projected outturn in respect of the 2009/10 Housing Revenue Account as detailed in Appendix 6 of the report be noted.
(6) That an agenda item be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee to consider the position regarding young persons not in education, employment or training (NEETS).
Supporting documents: