To consider the findings from the Review of Priorities and Resources and to agree the Board’s response to the Mayor’s proposals for the Revenue and Capital Budget for 2017/2018.

It was noted that the Board’s Priorities and Resources Review Panel had held a series of meetings in November and December 2016 to consider the Mayor’s budget proposals.  The draft report of the Panel was before the Board for its approval.

The Board received updates on four of the proposals and heard representations from the providers of the services affected.

Resolved:  that subject to the addition of the following recommendation:

“The budget for the Young Parent support service should not be removed without reassurance that there will not be poorer outcomes for the children of those young parents with the consequent cost shunt to Children’s Services.”

and the amendment of two other recommendations to read:

“The Board accept the difficult financial position faced by Children’s Services but believes that the total value of savings in the Mayor’s proposals should be retained.  However, the Board also believes that the Director of Children’s Services should, with the benefit of the work undertaken by Peopletoo, recalculate where savings can be made and may be in a position to revisit the Children’s Services budget with a view to putting forward further savings before the Mayor finalises his budget proposals to the Council.”; and

“The Board recommend that a saving of £120,000 should be made to the Lifestyles Service.  The Director of Public Health should be requested to review her entire budget to determine if savings can be made elsewhere to offset the cost of the Lifestyles Service in 2017/2018 with a view to £225,000 of savings being found to fund the Lifestyles Services from 1 April 2018.  Furthermore, the Director of Public Health should consider whether any of these savings can be made in the coming financial year.”

the recommendations within the report be agreed and the forwarded to the Mayor.