Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.

In view of the in-depth discussions anticipated at item 4 of the agenda: Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 to 2028/29 the Chair proposed to defer agenda item 5: ICB Clinical Commissioning update to the meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place on 4 March 2024.

Members of the Committee AGREED to this proposal.

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

In respect of item 5, Cllr Nawshad Ali advised that he worked for Barnet, Enfield & Haringey NHS Trust.

It was noted however that this item had now been deferred to the March meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.  

To agree the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meetings held on

6 November 2023, 14 November 2023, and 11 December 2023.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 6 November 2023, 14 November 2023 and 11 December 2023 were AGREED.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

·       Consider the savings and income proposals and funding and spending assumptions set out in the January Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 to 2028/29 update (including further new savings) update to Cabinet and report the outcome of their deliberations to Council on Thursday, 22 February 2024.

Councillor Ergin Erbil, Deputy Leader introduced the item highlighting the pressures currently faced by the Council which were as a result of continued reduction to Local Authority Funding from Central Government, inflationary pressures, and the continuing cost of living crisis. Government settlement for Local Authorities is bleak and all Council’s across the country were facing the same financial situation as Enfield Council. It was confirmed that despite this, the budget has been balanced for 2024/25, dependent on proposed savings, Council Tax increase, review of the Council Tax Support Scheme and grant to Adult Social Care.

Cllr Tim Leaver (Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement) provided further information in relation to the Council’s budget and the economic context and government funding decisions were further highlighted. He advised that the January Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Update Report demonstrates how the Council has set a provisionally balanced budget. It contains details of funding changes announced at the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and subsequently content of the 2024/25 Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement on 18 December. The report also provides an update on the funding and spending assumptions set out in the 2024/25 to 2028/29 MTFP Update Report which was considered by Cabinet in November (KD5681) and it brings forward a further tranche of savings and income proposals. The report also provides further detail around the budget position in terms of Funding, Pressures, Savings and the proposed fees and charges across service departments for 2024/25.

The Council is committed to delivering a resilient and sustainable budget and has made significant progress over the past four years. A key element of the approach to deliver this commitment is the effective scrutiny of the savings and income generation proposals and also the underlying assumptions on funding and spending. The Council is operating in an increasingly challenging and uncertain financial environment and this scrutiny is more important than ever.

The Committee received further information from Fay Hammond, Executive Director of Resources which provided context and background to the financial strategy, savings, investment, budgets by departments and budget risks.

At the invitation of the Chair, Members put a series of detailed questions to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, the Deputy Leader and Officers, who provided the following responses.

The Deputy Leader Cllr Erbil said he believed insourcing was ‘good practice’ and where local authorities had adequate funding more services should be insourced as it was felt that when you insource you prioritise staff and health and safety over profit. Cllr Leaver, the Cabinet Member for Finance & Procurement said that where certain services have been insourced this had saved money and he clarified that it wasn’t the Council’s intention to stop insourcing but added there may be an opportunity to review it in terms of ‘best practice’.

With regards to debt levels, Cllr Erbil advised that important steps have always been taken to ensure that the Council’s Capital Financing is affordable and the Capital Strategy, which was signed off in November, is a good strategy. He  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive the report of Deborah McBeal, Director of Integration, NHS North Central London ICB.

AGREED that the ICB Clinical Commissioning Update report be deferred to the business meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, scheduled to take place on Monday 4 March 2024.

To note the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2023/24.

NOTED the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2023/24.

To note that the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee business meeting is scheduled to take place at the Civic Centre at 7pm on Tuesday 6 February 2024.

NOTED that the next business meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee would be on Tuesday 6 February 2024 at 7:00pm in the Conference Room, Civic Centre.