Further to the determination of the 2011/12 Council Budget at the Council meeting on 1 March 2011, a report by the Director of Finance presented the projected budgets for 2012-15.

Councillor S Foulkes informed that the Council had lost £51m of funding last year, needed to find £25m to balance the books for 2012/13 and requested Members and employees to consider carefully what was included in budgets in future and let him have any suggestions for making savings.  The following year a government review of the way Local Government was financed was likely to take yet more money away, and the drop in Wirral’s population would also be reflected in less government grant.  The Council would have to think differently about how it worked and the hours it worked.

Further to Minute No. 25 of the last meeting of the Cabinet held on 23 June 2011 when it had been reported that arrangements were in hand for the Leaders of the three Political Groups to meet, as soon as possible, with Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.  Councillor S Foulkes reported that the date had been agreed (6 September 2011) for the meeting to discuss the Council’s concerns about the impact that possible changes in local government financing could have on the Borough.  However, the meeting was not to be with Eric Pickles but with Bob Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

RESOLVED:

That the budget projections be regularly reviewed.

A report by the Director of Finance provided an update on the projected budgets for the years from 2011 to 2015, taking into account the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2011-15 presented on 20 October 2010.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)  the budget projections be kept under review;

(2)  further efficiencies be delivered; and

(3)  on confirmation of the levy increase from Merseytravel the Director of Finance be requested to adjust/amend his projections.