The Chair and / or Director will speak to this item.

Lucy Barrow, Corporate Performance Manager , gave the Committee a presentation that outlined details of the budget consultation – Consultation and Engagement to inform improvements, budgets and plans.  The budget consultation was intended to engage the public, staff and stakeholders in developing a 3 Year Corporate Plan and a 3 Year Financial Plan. The presentation outlined key milestones, the questionnaire, Scrutiny Workshops and the key points in the budget consultation. The workshop for the health and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be held on 19 September, 2012.

Resolved – That the presentation be noted.

The Chair and / or Director will speak to this item.

By way of a presentation, the Council’s Corporate Performance Manager referred to a series of budget consultation Scrutiny Workshops that had been arranged during September and October, to consult on principles and to engage with the public, staff and stakeholders to inform improvements and budgets and the development of the three year Corporate and Financial Plans. Outline savings options would be the subject of further consultation in November/December prior to decisions.

She commented that the Authority faced a significant challenge in dealing with government cuts to its budget, adding up to around £100m over the next three years. A public questionnaire, together with detailed background information would be released on 10 September 2012 and the Scrutiny Workshops would seek the views of Members, external partners and experts, as to how the Council’s priorities may be achieved in the light of budget cuts. They would look in detail at the budgets within their remit and report back to the Cabinet. Their scope was to understand the scale of the challenge and to discuss options for delivering services differently.

In response to comments from Members, the Director provided assurance that officers would take steps to ensure that a fully representative response was sought to the options within the consultation exercise, including hard to reach groups. Members involvement in the process was crucial and he proposed to circulate the background information to Members, prior to the publication of the questionnaire.

The Chair indicated that the Economy and Regeneration Workshop would take place on Tuesday 25 September 2012 and he urged Members to attend if it was possible for them to do so.

Resolved – That the presentation be noted.