Issue - meetings
Performance and Finance Review - Quarter 1, 2009/10
Meeting: 15/09/2009 - Executive (Item 7)
7 Performance and Finance Review - Quarter 1, 2009/10 PDF 216 KB
This report summarises Brent Council’s spending, activity and performance in Quarter 1, 2009/10 and highlights key issues and solutions to them. It takes a corporate overview of financial and service performance and provides an analysis of high risk areas. The report is accompanied by appendices providing budget, activity and performance data for each service area, the Local Area Agreement, ring fenced budgets and the capital programme. Vital Signs trend data and graphs are also provided along with the council’s overall budget summary.
Decision:
(i) that the council’s spending, activity and performance in the first quarter of 2009/10 be noted;
(ii) that all directors ensure that spending is kept within budget and underperformance tackled, and that measures are taken, in consultation with relevant portfolio holders, to achieve this;
(iii) that the virements detailed in appendix F to the report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources be approved.
Minutes:
The report from the Directors of Policy and Regeneration and Corporate Finance summarised Brent Council’s spending, activity and performance in Quarter 1, 2009/10 and highlighted key issues and solutions to them. Members’ attention was drawn to the need to identify an additional £4.5m in order to balance the 2009/10 budget and it was noted that overspending was still occurring and there were particular risk areas. The need to take action to bring the budget into balance was emphasised.
In commenting on the projected overspends, Councillor Wharton (Lead Member, Children and Families) contributed that the majority in his service area were either one-off expenditures or demand led and a number were related to child protection. As a consequence, efforts had to be made to claw back from other areas. Councillor Van Colle (Lead Member, Environment, Planning and Culture) added that in his service area the reduction in parking income was a London wide problem, as motorists appear to be more inclined to obey parking regulations in the current financial climate. In considering the service performance schedules, the Director of Policy and Regeneration expressed concern that too many indicators were in the high risk categories and it was hoped that this situation would change with Improvement and Efficiency initiatives. Councillor Blackman drew attention to the rate of permanent exclusion from schools, currently listed as high risk, considering that it would be more accurate to look at the annual figure instead of the first quarter, given the current downward trend.
RESOLVED:-
(i) that the council’s spending, activity and performance in the first quarter of 2009/10 be noted;
(ii) that all directors ensure that spending is kept within budget, underperformance tackled, and that measures are taken, in consultation with relevant portfolio holders, to achieve this;
(iii) that the virements detailed in appendix F to the report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources be approved.