To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members:-

Councillor M Jones

Councillor D Owen

W Bond

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including whipping declarations)

None.

To receive for approval the minutes of the meeting of 16/10/2018

RESOLVED:                    That the Minutes of a meeting of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1 dated 16 October 2018, be approved as a true and accurate record, subject to Reverend Canon Evans being added to the list of attendees present at the meeting.

Invitees

Cllr Charles Smith, Cabinet Member - Education and Generation;

Nicola Echanis, Head of Education and Family Support;
Robin Davies, Group Manager Business Strategy and Performance;
Deborah Exton, Group Manager – Financial Planning and Budget Management;

Eilish Thomas, Accountant - Education and Family Support.

The Interim Section 151 Officer submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to present the Committee with the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019-20 to 2022-23, which set out the spending priorities of the Council, key investment objectives and budget areas targeted for necessary savings. The Strategy included a financial forecast for 2019-2023, as well as a detailed draft Revenue Budget for 2019-20.

The Chairperson referred to the Committee pre-meeting, where Members discussed that the Final Budget had not yet been announced, and due to this, the report before Members was not reflective of this. The view had therefore been taken, that the allocation of savings earmarked within service areas of Directorates comprising the Council could not be fully scrutinised, as further funding from Welsh Government (WG) may affect the levels of savings and cuts required as part of the MTFS may change these proposals.

Conclusion:                    Due to the above, Members recommended that an amended report on the MTFS proposals be brought back to the Committee once the final budget settlement from WG is announced.

The Head of Legal and Regulatory Services submitted a report, the purpose of which, was:-

• To present the items prioritised by the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including the next item delegated to Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1;
• To present the Committee with a list of further potential items for comment and prioritisation;
• To ask the Committee to identify any further items for consideration using the pre-determined criteria form;
• To consider and approve the feedback from the previous meetings of the Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1, and note the list of responses including any still outstanding at Appendix A to the report.

Members engaged in discussion on the content of the report and attached Appendices A, B and C, following which it was

Conclusions:     

            1)   Members recommended that the letter from the Ministry of Justice in respect of Grant Funding to the Secure Estate in Wales, be forwarded to WG to ask for their comments back.

2)  Members agreed that member development take place in respect of blended learning.

3)  Members agreed that the proposed item on Child Practice Review should be an all members briefing to a full council rather than to go to scrutiny.

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.