Issue - meetings

In the exercise of its Public Sector Equality Duty, as set out below, the County Council must have full regard to and consider the impact of any proposals in relation to equalities prior to making any decisions and any identified significant risks and mitigating action required. The overview of the impact assessments for all service areas entitled ‘2023/24 Budget Impact Assessment’ has been circulated separately and is available to all Members of the Council for consideration under this item (alongside any specific equality impact assessments undertaken as part of the budget’s preparation) at https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/budget-setting-2023-2024/.

To receive and approve the Report of the Director of Finance and Public Value (DF/23/19) together with the Minutes of the Cabinet held on 10th February 2023 relating to the budget.

Minutes from the recent Scrutiny Budget meetings (Children’s Scrutiny, Health and Adult Care and Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services) are also attached for the information of Members which contain the Scrutiny Budget Resolutions, attached.

The Report of the Director of Finance and Public Value will follow.

The Cabinet Minutes will be available to view (shortly after the Cabinet meeting on the 10^th February 2023) at; https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=4465&Ver=4

(Councillor Wilton-Love declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of working in the Health and Social Care field)

Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor Twiss SECONDED that Cabinet Minute 281 (1-21) setting out the proposed revenue and capital budgets as detailed in Report (DF/23/19) be approved.

The MOTION in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

All Members of the Council had been granted a dispensation to allow them to speak and vote in any debate on the setting of the Council Tax or Precept or any fees and charges arising therefrom as a consequence of simply being a resident of or a land, business or property owner in the administrative County of Devon or by being a County Council representative on a local authority company or joint venture or by being a parent or guardian of a child in a school on any matter relating to school meals and school transport, or in

relation to being an approved foster parent, providing placements for the Council’s Children in Care or in relation to the setting of members’ allowances or the receipt of allowances from another Authority or as a parent or a guardian of a child in care or in receipt of statutory sick pay or a pension.

(Councillor Wilton-Love declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of working in the Health and Social Care field)

The Council considered the Minutes of the Cabinet meeting (Minute 281 (1-21) of 10th February 2023), together with the Report of the Director of Finance and Public Value on the Revenue Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2023/24 - 2026/27 and Capital Programme 2023/24 - 2027/28 (DF/23/19).

This included an assessment of the adequacy of reserves, a range of prudential indicators concerning the financial implications of the capital programme and an assessment that identified risks associated with the budget strategy, together with how the risks would be managed.

The budget book contained details of the County Council’s revenue and capital budgets together with associated financial and operational information.

The detail of the budget book included:

•      Revenue Budget Overview;

•      Statement on the Robustness of the Budget Estimates, the Adequacy of Reserves and Affordability of the Capital Strategy;

•      Capital Programme Overview 2023/24 - 2027/28;

•      Service Budgets;

•      Fees & Charges;

•      Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023/24 - 2026/27;

•      County Fund Balance and Earmarked Reserves 2023/24;

•      Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24 - 2026/27 and Prudential Indicators 2023/24 - 2027/28;

•      Capital Strategy 2023/24 - 2027/28;

•      Risk Analysis of Volatile Budgets; and

•      Abbreviations

The Chair of the Council MOVED that the Minutes of the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny, Children’s Scrutiny Committee and Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Budget Scrutiny Committee meetings held on the 20^th, 26^th and 30^th January 2023 relating to the annual estimates be approved.

The MOTION was subsequently put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Council noted that the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee had, at that meeting on 30^th January 2023, considered and endorsed the proposed Treasury Management Strategy for 2023/24, prior to determination of the budget for that year.

The Council further noted that the Council’s financial plans had been drawn up with reference to the County Council’s major policies and objectives, the County Council’s performance framework, demographic changes occurring within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 181