Contact: Anne Hibbert, tel 847533, e-mail: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This is the final budget monitoring report for 2005/06. The previous budget monitoring report in December 2005 and the revised budget included in the 2006/07 revenue budget report in February 2006 identified pressures within Property, Business and Regulatory Services, County Treasurer's and Human Resources Departments. For the Accredited Community Safety Officers Service, the latest forecast outturn exceeds the cash limit by £100,000. In addition, expenditure on Coroners Services is estimated to be £30,000 in excess of the budget and County Council election costs are likely to exceed the budget by £147,000. Whilst pressures have been managed in other areas, for Policy and Resources overall, the forecast outturn is expected to exceed the cash limit by £222,000 and would be carried forward to 2006/07 in accordance with the financial management policy. The report also identifies a number of instances in which planned spending has slipped from 2005/06 to 2006/07. The treatment of over and under-spendings will be considered when the final outturn is known.

1.2 Capital expenditure for the County Council is forecast to be £190.2m, £3.9m above the revised estimate reported to Cabinet on 10 February 2006. Capital receipts will also be higher than forecast in February.

1.3 The following decisions are sought:

i) To note the current position on the monitoring of the revenue budget and capital programme.

ii) To approve the use of £100,000 from the Human Resources transitional infrastructure funding in 2006/07 to develop a customer relationship management system in collaboration with the developing corporate Contact Centre.

iii) To defer consideration of the treatment of over and under-spendings against the 2005/06 revised budget until the final outturn position is known.

iv) To approve the carry forward of schemes in the 2005/06 capital programme, subject to the cost of the shemes being accommodated within the approved programme limit.

1.4 Regular service budget monitoring reports are submitted to Executive Members to review whether any action is required to contain spending within cash limits and ensure that resources are utilised effectively.

1.5 Decisions on the Policy and Resources revenue budget and capital programme impact on the financial resources used by central services to support all other County Council services and as such relate to all the corporate strategy aims:

· Maximising life opportunities

· Stewardship of the environment

· Achieving economic prosperity

· Building strong and safe communities

· Improving services

· Developing councillors and staff.

2. Other options considered and rejected

2.1 Not applicable

3. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted

3.1 Not applicable

4. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

4.1 Not applicable

5. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

5.1 Not applicable

Approved by: (signature) Date: (date of decision)

Councillor T K Thornber