Agenda item

To consider the level of spending against the Council’s Revenue and Capital budgets for the first four months to 31 July 2017.

The Committee considered a report which detailed the level of spending against the Council’s Revenue and Capital budgets for the first four months to 31 July 2017.

The report was presented by Mr Thompson, Director of Resources who, along with Councillor Blackburn, responded to questions from the Committee on the report’s content.

Members discussed the overspend figures within the Children’s Services Directorate and asked why the overspend had increased by £30,000, despite the numbers of looked after children having reduced by four during the one month period since consideration of the previous report. Councillor Blackburn confirmed that the numbers of looked after children had come down, although he explained that the majority of cost reductions were achieved via children within cheaper placement areas. However, he did anticipate that the overspend would continue to diminish, going forward.

In connection with the residential care of looked after children, Members questioned why Blackpool was not investing more in the construction of its own facilities in order to achieve a greater control of costs, compared with external placements. Councillor Blackburn acknowledged the increased costs of external placements and agreed that it would be more efficient to house children within Blackpool’s own facilities. However, he explained that this would rely on building children’s homes in the town which he believed offered the worst possible outcomes for looked after children, with much better results being achieved from children being placed into foster care. He stressed his belief that institutional solutions to child care were not the best way forward.

The Committee discussed further the best possible ways of looking after children, together with the associated high costs of external placements. Councillor Blackburn explained that wherever possible, children were placed within family settings. Only when all other possibilities had been exhausted, did the Council look at external placements.

The Committee asked about the section of the report concerned with business rates collection, pointing out the collection rate of 33.2% and the fact that 350 business rate summonses had been issued in July 2017. Members asked if this was a typical figure and what the Council did to assist businesses who were struggling to pay. Mr Thompson explained that it was a typical figure, taking into account seasonal adjustments and the Council had a range of measures to assist businesses who were struggling to pay. Councillor Blackburn added that whilst it was right to offer every assistance possible to support businesses that were encountering genuine difficulties, there were certain successful businesses that were failing to meet their obligations and he stressed that robust action was being taken to deal with these situations.

The Committee agreed to note the report.

Background papers: None.