Contact: Sheila Little, 01962 847545, e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

1 That the final acounts for 2003/04 be approved.

2 That the £555,000 over spending in 2003/04 as compared to the original budget, but met from central reserves as agreed by Cabinet in February 2004 rather than forming the first pressure on the 2004/05 budget.

1.2 The strategy of meeting the 2003/04 overspend from reserves was agreed because of the Government's restrictions on central spending in the Schools Budget for 2004/05 which meant that the Service was not able to set the 2003/04 overspend as a first call on the 2004/05 budget.

These decisions support all six corporate strategy aims. Most notably to Aim 1: maximising life opportunities; Aim 3: achieving economic prosperity and Aim 5: improving services.

2 Other Options considered and rejected:

Meeting the 2003/04 overspend from the 2004/05 budget, but this was rejected due to central government central spending restrictions.

3 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted- none

4 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - none

5 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - not applicable

Approved by: Date:

Councillor D Allen