Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells, TD6 0SA

Contact: Fiona Walling Tel:- 01835 826504  Email:-  fwalling@scotborders.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minute pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Minute of meeting of Executive held on 26 February 2019 to be approved and signed by the Chairman. (Copy attached).

Minutes:

The Minute of the Meeting held on 26 February 2019 had been circulated.

           

DECISION

AGREED that the Minute be approved and signed by the Chairman.

 

2.

Final Revenue Virements and Earmarked Balances 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Consider report by the Chief Financial Officer (copy attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

2.1       With reference to the Minute of 12 February 2019, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Financial Officer seeking approval for the final 2018/19 budget virements and approval to carry forward identified earmarked budgets to 2019/20.  The report explained that during 2018/19, and most recently at the meeting held on 12 February 2019, the Executive Committee approved a number of revenue budget virements.  The original projections on which the February virements were based related to actual spend to 31 December 2018.  Since then, further work on projected expenditure and income had identified the requirement to seek approval for final budgetary adjustments.  Routine virements for 2018/19 with adjustment to supplement the virements approved by the Executive Committee during the financial year, were detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.  Earmarked balances, supplementing those approved by the Executive Committee to date and where projects or initiatives would now be completed in 2019/20, were shown in Appendix 2.

 

2.2       The Chief Financial Officer, Mr Robertson, referred in turn to each budget virement included in the Appendices to the report and gave further information where requested.  He drew attention to a sum of £598k received as part of the Scottish Government Revenue Support Grant which was temporarily shown under Finance, IT & Procurement awaiting clarification of to what this funding related.  Mr Robertson advised Members that he had now received confirmation that this funding was for probationary teachers.  Members therefore approved the additional virement of £598k from the Revenue Support Grant income to the Central Schools Budget for probationary teachers.  In response to a question about the earmarked balance under the Secondary Devolved School Management Budget carried forward to 2019/20, Mr Robertson clarified that Head Teachers had flexibility in the management of their school’s individual budget.  In terms of the slippage of £412k in respect of support of the IT Transformation programme, Mr Robertson explained that, although there was some disappointment in respect of the pace of the programme there was confidence that this would be successfully delivered over time.  In agreeing the earmarked balance carry forward for Self Directed Support in Health and Social Care, a question was asked about the use and roll-out of pre-paid debit cards for use by recipients of Self Directed Support.  Mr Robertson advised that the use of such cards was well established and gave flexibility to the user for appropriate payment transactions. Members recognised the benefits of the increasing use of technology within social care but agreed that a Members’ briefing on the use of pre-paid debit cards for Self Directed Support would be helpful.

 

DECISION

AGREED to:-

 

(a)          APPROVE:-

 

(i)         the virements in Appendix 1 to the report;

 

(ii)        the earmarked balances in Appendix 2 to the report; and

 

(iii)       the additional virement of £598k from the Revenue Support Grant                  income to the Central Schools Budget.

 

(b)          receive a briefing to give Members more information about the introduction of pre-paid debit cards for use by recipients of Self Directed Support.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

 

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Scottish Borders Council

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