To confirm budgets and promote a debate on the various processes utilised to affect spending.

A presentation will be made on this item.

Caroline Laing, Constituency Manager, gave a presentation to the Committee on the Constituency Committee budget and financial protocols. The Committee had a budget of £50,000 for 2013/14 plus a recently announced ‘Love Wirral’ grant of £10,000. A further £25,000 would be made available from Public Health funding. How this money would be distributed would be a decision for the Committee and recommendations from the Task and Finish group would come back to the Committee in February, 2014. She also suggested that a Small Grants Fund and a Problem Solving Fund could be established.

In respect of the Small Grants Fund, the process would be agreed by the Committee at its December, 2013 meeting and decisions on awarding of grants at the February, 2014 meeting.

In respect of the Problem Solving Fund, the Committee could devolve a small budget to the ‘Priorities and Spend Task and Finish Group’, recommendations would be made via the Constituency Manager and spend agreed would be reported for information to each Constituency Committee. This would allow for a quick response to neighbourhood issues and test innovative responses.

Responding to questions from Members, Caroline Laing and Jacqui Cross, Neighbourhoods Programme Manager, made the following comments:

·  All information had been updated of those regular contacts for local groups and with an agreed communications strategy Caroline Laing was confident of getting the message out within timescale for groups to apply to the Small Grants Fund.

·  There was a commitment from other partners, such as the police and fire service for additional funding and this would be based around need rather than a consistent amount across each constituency.

·  There had been a lot of positive discussion with public sector partners following the establishment of a Wirral Public Service Board.

·  A briefing note related to the Love Wirral Grant would be sent to all members and all relevant data would be made available to explore and interrogate to help in informing priorities.

The Chair thanked Caroline for her informative presentation and it was then –

Resolved –

(1)  That the proposed financial processes be noted.

(2)  That the ‘Priority and Spend Task and Finish Group’ be as agreed in minute 4 above.