To consider the report setting out the projected outturn for the Council’s Revenue Budget for 2013/2014 as at the end of Quarter 2.

The Council noted the current projected outturn for the Revenue Budget 2013/2014 based on quarter 2 information, as set out in the submitted report.  The Chairman advised that the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Board had been circulated on 4 December 2013 and had been referred to the Mayor for him to respond to accordingly.

To consider the report setting out the projected outturn for the Council’s Revenue Budget for 2013/2014 as at the end of Quarter 2 and to make any recommendations to the Council.

The Board considered a report which set out the projected outturn of the Revenue Budget as at the end of Quarter 2 of 2013/2014.  The Board noted that the Council was still subject to ongoing demand pressures, particularly within Children’s Safeguarding and Wellbeing.  The Council was projecting an overspend of £1.411 million, compared to a projected overspend of £2.415 million at the end of the first quarter.

During their consideration of the report, Members were advised that the Council had approved a Budget Pressures Contingency as part of the 2013/14 budget setting to support and address specific pressures identified within the year.  Due to the ongoing pressures faced within Children’s Services all of this reserve (£1 million) had been released to offset the increased costs within Safeguarding and Wellbeing.  However, the projected outturn position for the Children, Schools and Families revenue budget remained overspent by £3 million.  As part of the corporate approach to addressing the overall overspend, all services had been asked to deliver in-year savings and a number of services had made significant savings which were detailed in the report.

Resolved:  that the Board remain concerned at the level of overspend, especially in relation to Children’s Safeguarding, and would wish to see inroads into this overspend within the current financial year.