To receive any apologies of absence.

Apologies for absence were received by Cllr Quick, Cllr Kellaway attended as a substitute.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received.

To consider the report.

The Lead Member for Finance presented the latest Financial Update report and informed the Panel that the projected General Fund Reserves was £7,118,000 which was well in excess of the £5,780,000 recommended minimum level set at Council in February 2017.  This excess of reserves was important to provide a buffer from any future uncertainties, however this was less than previously reported.

The Schools Forum had discussed the increased deficit in the high needs block and had approved a recovery plan that did not have any impact on council tax. 

With regards to the capital programme there had been slippage into the next years budget, the projects had not slipped it was just that the budgets spanned across years.

When the 2017-18 budget was approved by Council in February 2017, new borrowing was anticipated to be £72,999,000 for 2017/18. Due to the re-profiling of a number of schemes on the cash flow forecast, expected new borrowing has reduced to £17m by the year end.  The Panel were informed that a reconciliation list of capital projects had been added to appendix D.

Cllr L Evans said it was good to see that our finances were in good order especially given the news of Northamptonshire's financial trouble and difficulties facing other authorities. Cllr Evans asked about the business rates discounts and was informed that public houses could apply for a business rate discount the other discounts were discretionary ones offered by the Council. 

Cllr Kellaway asked why £67,000 had been paid to Bisham School to convert to a academy.  The Panel were informed that this was to cover capital maintenance projects that had been put on hold when there was a possibility that the school may have closed.

In response to a question from Cllr Jones the Panel were informed that the housing grant did cover emergency housing need and that there was a possibility that expenditure would rise.

In response to a question from the Chairman the Panel were informed that there were no unforeseen significant pressures that officers were aware of.

Resolved unanimously: that the report be noted.

To comment on the Cabinet / Council report.

The Panel considered the 2018/19 Budget Report that was due to be considered by Cabinet and Council.

Mr Endacott asked the Panel the following questions, it was agreed to send him a written response outside the meeting with the answers being included in the minutes:

Question 1 - I can see where the expenditure come from, but is there an explanation as to the source of the income in the Directly Managed Costs aspect of the budget (p41-P102)?

Answer 1 - Income posted to services budgets could come from several sources e.g. fees and charges, government grants, other grants, contract income, rental income.

We have sometimes included an explanation in the narrative for the service where this income is a material amount as in the Leisure Centre Concessions Contract:

“The budget provision includes contract fee income and revenue expenditure on retained buildings.”

Question 2 - Is the Achievement for Children (AfC) contract (p55 & 57) amounting to a total of £33, 552K, split between the LA funding and a Designated Schools Grant (DSG) fund? If so are there checks in place to ensure taxpayers both at local and national level are receiving value for money from AfC and where does their accountability lie, particularly in light of the SEND Ofsted report last summer?

Answer 2 - The proportion of the contract that is funded by the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) remains ringfenced for education services and is reported on and monitored separately to the non DSG funded elements of the contract. AfC, on behalf  of the Council, will also continue to report on the DSG position as a whole fund (elements that are within and outside the contract price) for Council and Schools Forum reporting. AfC are subject to the same audit and inspection processes that were applied when the services were delivered directly by the Council.

AfC signs up to an annual agreement with Windsor and Maidenhead which outlines the services that will be provided. This agreement includes a set of performance indicators with targets for maintaining or improving performance of services. Financial and service performance is discussed with the Council's Contract Commissioner monthly as part of the contract review meeting and the whole commissioning agreement is reviewed at least annually to ensure it remains aligned to Council priorities. AfC are accountable to the Council for carrying out the functions they have been commissioned to deliver, to agreed standards. The Deputy Chief Executive who leads the delivery of children and education services for Windsor and Maidenhead in AfC is also the statutory Director of Children’s Services and is directly employed by the Council (seconded to AfC). This enables a direct line of accountability to the Royal Borough's Managing Director.

The Council and its local partners, including Health and schools are leading on the SEND improvement plan and are making this subject to public scrutiny through the Health and Wellbeing board to ensure that improvements are delivered in a way that makes a difference for local families while maintaining value for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

To consider passing the following resolution:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972,

the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst

discussion takes place on the grounds that it involves the likely

disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of

part I of Schedule 12A of the Act"

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local

Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider the report.