The Senior Finance Business Partner introduced the report of the Director of Resources which set out how the 2022/23 budget would be monitored through the Committee system, which would facilitate the Policy and Services Committees (the Committees) to take ownership of their specific budgets and present appropriate challenge and scrutiny of Officers on the management and performance of those budgets. The report also set out the concurrent activity of budget setting for 2023/24 and how this would be approached with the establishment of budget workshops to consider savings proposals within the Medium Term Financial Plan.

In response to questions from members, officers undertook to include further detail in future reports around the impact of the inflation rate. The report detailed the strengthening of reserves to ensure funds for the future to support the Wirral Plan and outlined that resources should only be allocated to the themes in the Wirral Plan and where beneficial outcomes could be evidenced. Clarification was sought on the proportion of the increased reserves and the significance of the Wirral Plan in the budget setting process. Members noted the requirement to set a legal budget and were mindful of their duty to contribute to the budget saving process.

Resolved – That

(1)  the process for in-year monitoring of the 2022/23 budget be noted.

(2)  the 2023/24 budget setting process be noted.

(3)  a Budget Monitoring Panel be established to comprise of the Committee Chair and Spokespersons in line with Section 3.12 of the report, with sessions to be led by the relevant Director/Assistant Director.

(4)  budget workshops be established and held as detailed in Section 3.26 of the report, the outcome of which to be reported back to Committee in September 2022.