Agenda item

There is an exempt appendix located in the Exempt/Confidential Appendices Section of the agenda below.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided details of the financial position of the Council as at Quarter 1 (30 June 2023) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2023/24, including:-

·       General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and capital accounts; and associated Balance Sheet; and

·       Common Good revenue account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 3, specifically the £0.733m reduction in cash balances due to investment volatility;

(c)      note that the General Fund full year forecast position remains very uncertain at this time and subject to the successful implementation of actions as per Appendix 2 and no further financial shocks, then a full year outturn position of ‘on budget’ is anticipated;

(d)      note that financial resilience to mitigate the risks of overspending is underpinned by the resources available on the Council Balance Sheet and General Fund Reserves in particular. As at 31 March 2023 the uncommitted value of those reserves was £12m, the minimum that the Council Reserves Statement recommends and as approved by the Council;

(e)      note that the HRA full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is on target to achieve the approved budget;

(f)       note that the Council relies on the Integration Joint Board (IJB) achieving a balanced budget, and that the IJB retains reserves to mitigate unplanned additional costs arising during the year;

(g)      note that the forecast for General Fund Capital budget is that it will be lower than its revised budget and Housing Capital expenditure will be on budget in 2023/24 as described in Appendix 2;

(h)      note that due to the prevailing market conditions of high inflation and supply chain volatility, and the requirements of the Prudential Code for the Council to manage capital investment through a programme that is prudent, affordable and sustainable, the Chief Officer – Capital will present a review of the General Fund Capital Programme to this Committee in September. In conjunction with individual reports on capital business cases, that report will demonstrate our approach to value for money and to ensure that external scrutiny is robustly evidenced; and

(i)       approve the write off of debt as noted in Appendix 5.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations;

(ii)      that the Chief Officer – Finance circulate details to Councillor Watson in relation to Sport Aberdeen’s credit line arrangements;

(iii)      that the Chief Officer – Finance circulate details to Councillor Tissera in relation to how many ACC officers over the age of 65 had sought VSER in the past 2 years and at what cost to the Council; and

(iv)     that in relation to the closure of the small financial assistance grant scheme, that the Chief Officer – Finance circulate details to all members of the Committee in relation to the organisations and the financial sums involved.