SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT
COMMITTEE – 6 NOVEMBER 2003
BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF SEPTEMBER
2003
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL
SERVICES AND HOUSING
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
This report sets out the
budget and spending position on revenue for the services within this Committee
remit, as at the end of September. The
figures at Appendix 1 do not include
budgets that are controlled elsewhere.
These are monitored by the Committee, which bears responsibility for the
item concerned. (For example, Resources
Select Committee monitors the building maintenance budget centrally, and
building maintenance costs are not therefore shown against individual services
below). For information a Building Maintenance monitor has been included at Appendix 1A.
REVENUE EXPENDITURE (2003/04)
The net expenditure
statement up to 30th September 2003 for the Social Services and Housing budgets
is set out in Appendix 1.
The previous year
reduction in the promoting independence grant is an on-going pressure of
£148,000 on the two independent living resource centres. These are of central importance in reducing
hospital bed blocking and promoting independence.
As part of the 2003/4
budget settlement the Directorate has to achieve a savings target of
£272,000. To date £27,000 has been
identified leaving £245,000 still to be achieved on an on-going basis.
The Directorate is working
towards a balanced budget for the year, however at this time it is considered
prudent to highlight a potential overspend at the end of the financial year of
approximately £126,000. This is
approximately 0.4% of the net budget for the Directorate. This takes into
account the above cost pressures of the reduction in the promoting independence
grant and the savings target still to be identified. This is deemed to be within the limits of tolerance and the
situation will continue to be closely monitored.
FREE NURSING CARE POOLED BUDGET
Background information on the development of the free nursing care
pooled budget together with the monitoring report is included at Appendix 1B. This report is produced on a quarterly basis and agreed by the
pooled budget management board. The projected underspend attributable to Social
Service of £525,000 has been taken into account in the overall position
reported in Appendix 1.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (2003/04)
The capital expenditure is set out in Appendix
2. We will be reporting on this area at each Committee. Most of the allocation is for social
housing. In most years, the Housing
Capital Programme is approved early in the year, when the funding/programme is
committed. Building works proceed
during the year, with the delivery/spend occurring largely in the last quarter
of the year.
Contact Point: Kerry Hubbleday/Dawn Cousins, ( 520600
ext.2213/2240
GORDON KENDALL
Portfolio Holder for Social Services and Housing