Agenda item

The Committee considered the Council’s Revenue Budget Strategy 2022/23 to 2024/25 which provided a current view of the revenue budget for 2021/2022 together with indicative figures for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years. 

The report provided details of the budget process, the current Welsh Government provisional settlement issued on 21^st December 2021 and the final settlement timetable and identified the validation and budget pressures that needed to be considered by Members in setting next year’s revenue budget. 

It was reported that, whilst significant work had already been undertaken in preparing the budget, the report represented an initial position statement which would be updated following the consultation process.  Accordingly, Members were reminded that the report had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on the 17^th January 2022 and members of the Committee had recently attended consultation events which had provided an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification on various aspects of the budget.

The report indicated that, after adjustments for WG, identified transfers, the increase in the provisional settlement for Carmarthenshire was 9.2% (£26.335 million). The Aggregate External Finance (AEF) had therefore increased to £311.957 million in 2022/23 which accommodated teachers’ pay and included £302k in respect of the Social Care Workforce Grant.

Committee’s attention was drawn to section 3.5 of the budget strategy whereby an overview of the schools’ delegated budgets was provided to Members.  Whilst concerns were raised that many service specific grants remained at a similar level to previous years given the impact of pay awards and general inflation, it was reported to Members that for 2022/23, the RRRS grant would continue, and that the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) grant and Pupil Development grant would be enhanced.

The Committee thereupon considered the following detailed budget information appended to the Strategy, relevant to its remit:-

·      Appendix A(i) – Efficiency summary for the Education & Children’s Services Department.

·      Appendix A(ii) – Growth Pressures summary for the Education & Children’s Services Department. 

·      Appendix B – Budget monitoring report for the Education & Children’s Services Department

·      Appendix C – Charging Digest for the Education & Children’s Services Department

It was reported that the final settlement was due to be received from Welsh Government on the 1^st March, 2022 and any amendments required to be considered in relation to the Budget Strategy arising from that announcement would also be considered by Council at its meeting scheduled for 2^nd March, 2022.

Officers addressed a number of member queries and observations, as follows:

In response to a query regarding the take-up of the Hardship fund by Schools, Officers duly clarified the parameters in which schools could apply for the funding.  It was explained to Members that common costs would usually be met from corporate departmental budgets.  Furthermore, it was emphasised that individual school circumstances, in terms of the scale of impact from the Covid-19 pandemic in areas such as staffing, varied throughout the county.  The Committee was assured to note that regular communication was provided to all schools to ensure all schools were aware of the funding available and encouraged to apply in accordance with eligibility criteria.

Committee referred to the provision of air purifiers for schools and queried the level of funding available to the Council.  The Head of Access to Education clarified that funding in the region of £134k had been received to deal with ventilation and data was currently being collated to determine school requirements in this regard.  Members were informed that a total of 36 air purifying units had been procured and allocated to date, which was sufficient to meet the current level of demand.  It was however noted that the funding allocation for the longer-term solution would likely need to be enhanced to enable schools with identified ventilation issues to be retrofitted with appropriate filters.  The Cabinet Member for Education referred to the Notice of Motion considered at a meeting of the Cabinet held on 17^th January 2022 and reported that a response was awaited from the Minister to confirm the advice from the Technical Advisory Group and the WG progress in terms of the procurement and funding of Ultra Violet and/or High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in schools.

In response to a query, the Cabinet Member for Resources reported that the Minister’s letter which accompanied the settlement was explicit that Welsh Government expects Council to meet the cost of any future pay awards from the improved settlement and confirmed that the 4% teacher pay awards for 2022/23 was reflected within the delegated budget.

Concerns were expressed regarding the reduction in the number of schools for 2024/25.  It was clarified that a review of the Modernising Education Programme (MEP) was currently underway, following which the matter would be further considered.

The Committee commended the Director of Corporate Services and his team for the development of a budget against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and unprecedented circumstances, to ensure an appropriate provision of services for Carmarthenshire.

RESOLVED that:

5.1 The 2022/23 – 2024/25 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation be received;

5.2 The Charging Digest detailed in Appendix C to the report, be endorsed.