It was moved by Councillor P Davies and seconded by Councillor B Kenny –

“(1) That this Committee agrees to refer minute 68 back to the Cabinet for further consideration on the grounds that the £3.9m of cuts proposed will directly impact on front line services and make it more difficult for this Council to achieve its Corporate Priorities.

(2) That the Committee asks that Cabinet registers its grave concern with the government about requiring this Council to make large-scale and damaging in-year cuts when the Council’s budget for 2010/2011 has already been democratically agreed.

(3) That given this Conservative-Liberal Democrat Administration’s publicly declared priority for public consultation around the future of Council services and spending priorities, this Committee asks Cabinet to include these proposed cuts as part of the upcoming consultation with residents and key stakeholders and that no final decision is taken until the results of this consultation are known.”

It was moved as an amendment by Councillor P Gilchrist and seconded by Councillor J Keeley –

“(1) That this Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorses the Cabinet decision having considered the process which was began on 24 June 2010 with minute 41, the detail contained in the report of 22 July 2010 which clearly set out the levels of uncommitted grant and commentaries on the use of the Fund.

(2) That the Committee recognises the difficulties that the Council faced in meeting a change in the level of Area Based Grant in mid year.

(3) That the Committee recognises advice of officers was taken on the level of vacancies and on difficulty in recruitment and understands that ABG has been used in the past as a grant to balance the budget.

(4) That the Committee appreciates that there are substantial funds remaining in the Working Neighbourhoods Fund that can still be utilised to achieve the Council’s key objectives.

(5) That the Committee notes that the full cut in ABG was not passed on to CYPD, taking £1.5m of uncommitted money rather than £2.6m.”

The amendment was put and carried (6:4)

Resolved (6:4) (Councillors P Davies, B Kenny, J Stapleton and C Meaden voting against) –

(1)  That this Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorses the Cabinet decision having considered the process which was began on 24 June 2010 with minute 41, the detail contained in the report of 22 July 2010 which clearly set out the levels of uncommitted grant and commentaries on the use of the Fund.

(2)  That the Committee recognises the difficulties that the Council faced in meeting a change in the level of Area Based Grant in mid year.

(3)  That the Committee recognises advice of officers was taken on the level of vacancies and on difficulty in recruitment and understands that ABG has been used in the past as a grant to balance the budget.

(4)  That the Committee appreciates that there are substantial funds remaining in the Working Neighbourhoods Fund that can still be utilised to achieve the Council’s key objectives.

(5)  That the Committee notes that the full cut in ABG was not passed on to CYPD, taking £1.5m of uncommitted money rather than £2.6m.