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).

Canon Edward Evans – Community Governor Bryntirion Comprehensive School

Lindsay Morris – Parent Governor Maesteg Comprehensive School

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell – Community Governor Cefn Glas Infants School

Councillor Cheryl Green – Governor Bryntirion Comprehensive School and Trelales Primary

Councillor Jane Gebbie – LA Governor Mynydd Cynffig Primary School and Pil Primary School

Council Martyn Jones – Vice Chair Garw Federation and Chair of Interim Executive Board Ogmore Vale Primary School

Councillor Richard Collins – LA Governor Plasnewydd Primary School and Governor at St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

Councillor Dhanisha Patel – Governor Ogmore Vale Primary School and Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen Comprehensive School

Councillor Sorrel Dendy – Governor Blaengarw Primary School

Councillor Hywel Williams – Chair of Governors Abercerdin Primary School

The Senior Democratic Services Officer - Scrutiny presented a report that requested the Committee to nominate one Member as its Corporate Parenting Champion, to represent the Committee as an invitee to meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

The Chairperson invited nominations, following which it was

RESOLVED:                        That Councillor Kay Rowlands be nominated to represent the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee as an Invitee to meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

Invitees:

Councillor Huw David - Leader

Councillor Hywel Williams - Deputy Leader

Councillor Charles Smith - Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

Councillor Jane Gebbie - Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help

Councillor Dhanisha Patel - Cabinet Member for Future Generations and Wellbeing

Lindsay Harvey - Corporate Director - Education and Family Support

Carys Lord - Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change

Mark Shephard - Chief Executive

Kelly Watson - Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory Services, HR & Corporate Policy

Nicola Echanis - Head of Education and Family Support

Deborah Exton - Deputy Head of Finance

Victoria Adams - Finance Manager - Budget Management: Communities, Education and Family Support

Hannah Castle - Headteacher, Cynffig Comprehensive School - Chair of Schools Budget Forum

Neil Clode - Headteacher, Llangewydd Junior School - Vice-Chair of Schools Budget Forum

The Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change presented a summary of the report, the purpose of which was to present the Committee with the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-23 to 2025-26, 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 2022-2026 and a detailed draft revenue budget for 2022-23.

The Chair thanked the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change and Members asked the following questions:

A Registered Representative asked if having no increase in Council tax and having no 1% budget reduction for schools would cause an increase in future years.

The Corporate Director - Education and Family Support explained it was difficult to predict the financial certainty in years to come, but they were looking to protect and enhance the life chances of many people across the Local Authority. The challenge would fluctuate and as seen over the last two years there had been significant grant funding from Welsh Government to schools and local authorities. He advised they look at strategic spend and engage all partners within the school budget forum to make sure that budgets were managed well at school level. Regarding long-term financial changes he suspected it would be difficult for any of them to provide that certainty around long term planning.

The Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change responded that they did have some indicative figures from Welsh Government regarding percentage increases in the settlement for the following two years. She advised that, although difficult to forward plan detail beyond the next financial year, she could reassure that they were able to balance the budget on the current proposed budget for the coming financial year and as far as going forward, the 1% reduction was still in the Medium Term Financial Strategy. She confirmed that the document was reviewed regularly and as information becomes clearer regarding future years, they would be reviewing everything in that draft statement.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration advised that each year the 1% had not happened and had been put there as a baseline to work from when calculating figures that are not fully detailed until the draft settlement is received.

The Deputy Leader advised that the council tax was a balancing figure and the last element of the equation. It began with their gross budget, which they had professional officers advise them on what they need to effectively deliver services in the County Borough of Bridgend and then it was a statutory duty to balance the budget.  They identify where to get the money from to deliver those services over the next twelve months. He advised that they did not know what pressures they would face in future years, so the proposed Council Tax freeze for 2022-23 had little bearing on the level of Council tax to be set the following year.

The Chair questioned whether it was within their gift to look at the future years  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

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