Issue - meetings

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive.

The Leader and the Cabinet made statements and responded to questions.

The following questions were submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1:-

1.  Children’s Services Savings

Councillor P Baillie to Councillor Paffey

QUESTION:  A major part of balancing the recent budget was the inclusion of £7M of savings /reduced spending from CS. I think the expectation from all councillors was that the route to achieving these savings had been mapped out.

Please would you tell me how these savings are to be achieved, when they will be achieved, and how successful savings’ /reduced spending targets have been over the last five years for CS.

ANSWER: Councillors will all recognise the fact that Children’s Services in the UK face extreme financial challenges: LGA figures show that placement costs have risen almost 60% in recent years, and £1.6billion of investment is needed just to maintain current service levels – even before recent soaring levels of inflation.

In this financial context, with high levels of demand in the city and with significant impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Labour administration and the Children’s Services Leadership Team set in motion the Destination 22 improvement programme which is showing encouraging signs: this year we achieved a reduction of £1.7 million on spending for CLA services and placements, and a £500k reduction of on agency staff costs as we build a stable, permanent workforce.

This work to achieve financial stability and, crucially, better outcomes for children will continue through the transformative “Building Brilliance 23” programme including measures such as reductions to agency staff numbers, demand for residential placements, accommodation costs for care leavers, better commissioning and work with Housing, and redesigning how we deliver services most effectively.

2.  Housing Improvements

Councillor P Baillie to Councillor Mitchell

QUESTION: According to the recent HRA budget which you passed, some £50M has been removed from the housing improvement pot to pay for homes in Meggeson Avenue. Do you feel it is fair to delay for years improvements to homes, for thousands of people, just because of your ideology?

ANSWER: The Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme that was approved at Council in February 2023 represents a significant increase in funding forecast to be spent on “Improving Quality of Homes” and “Making Homes Energy Efficient” when compared with historic expenditure. ?

Given the growing need for affordable housing in our city and an increasingly unaffordable private rental market we will continue to explore all options for providing our residents with high quality affordable homes. 

3.  Mini Budget Post Election

Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Kaur

QUESTION:  Can the Leader of the Council confirm if her administration will be bringing forward a mini budget in the summer of 2023 if they are successful in winning a majority May’s Local Election?

ANSWER – Verbal response provided at the meeting.

“That is not the current intention”.

4.  Housing Waiting Lists

Councillor Margetts to Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61