To consider a report of the Executive Member for Finance and Chief Finance Officer.

The Executive Member for Finance and the Chief Finance Officer submitted a report which informed Members of the current 2018/19 forecast outturn figures relating to both Revenue and Capital budgets, and which also summarised the latest forecast position for Council Tax and Business Rates within the Collection Fund. An opportunity was provided for Members to raise questions in respect of the report’s content, and these centred on the variance identified within Children’s Services. Members agreed on the need fully to understand the reasons, some of which were already evident, behind high levels of rising demand in the early part of the financial year. It was reported that one particular factor, namely the necessity, for safeguarding purposes, of high cost placements, had more recently.stabilised.

RESOLVED – That the content of the report, and the changes to the Capital Programme as detailed in its paragraphs 17 and 24, be noted.