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

(With the concurrence of the Chairman under Section 100 (B) (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972, this matter was included on the agenda to enable provisional budget and capital programme guidelines to be set at this meeting)

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 are sought:

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.

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