Contact: Jon Pittam, (01962) 847400; [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report proposes provisional budget guidelines for 2007/08 and indicative guidelines for 2008/09 and 2009/10 as the basis for public consultation on budget options and for Executive members to develop budget proposals for consideration by the Cabinet. Provisional guidelines for 2007/08 can be set at an earlier stage than normal in this budget cycle as the Government announced a two year grant settlement last December covering 2007/08 as well as 2006/07.

1.2 The following decisions were made:

i) To approve service budget guidelines for 2007/08 as set out in Table 5

ii) To approve indicative service budget guidelines for 2008/09 and 2009/10 as set out in Table 7

iii) To approve provisional capital programme guidelines for 2007/08 to 2010/11 as set out in Tables 8 and 9

iv) To request executive members to submit budget and capital programme proposals in accordance with the guidelines in i), ii) and iii) for the Cabinet to agree a recommendation to the County Council in February 2007

v) For the public to be consulted on a 2.5% or 4.9% council tax increase for 2007/08.

2 Reasons

2.1 The Cabinet needs to review the provisional budget for 2007/08 agreed in February 2006 in the light of subsequent developments and to set a financial planning framework for 2008/09 and 2009/10.

2.2 Consideration of the report supports the corporate strategy in providing the budget guidelines for services for:

· Hampshire safer and more secure for all

· maximising well being

· enhancing our quality of place

3 Other options considered and rejected:

3.1 None.

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive member consulted

4.1 None.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 Not applicable.

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

6.1 Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:
Councillor T. K. Thornber, CBE