Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Services, which provided details of the full year actual financial position of the Council against budget for the financial year 2023/24, including:-

·       General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue and capital accounts; and

·       Common Good Revenue Account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the unaudited final outturn position for financial year 2023/24 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note that the General Fund has recorded a balanced operational position for the year 2023/24. The uncommitted General Fund reserve remains in line with the approved Reserves Policy;

(c)      note that the Housing Revenue Account has recorded a deficit of £1.525m for the year, and this will have to be funded from the uncommitted HRA reserve;

(d)      note that the Common Good has recorded an operating surplus of £1.814m for the year, which is better than the approved use of cash reserves. After investment valuation changes and capital receipts are included, cash balances increased by £1.614m and remain in line with recommended levels;

(e)      approve the various transfers for 2023/24, between Council Reserves and Earmarked sums for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Common Good and Statutory Funds as of 31 March 2024, as detailed in Appendix 1;

(f)       approve the reprofiling of the 2024/25 – 2027/28 capital programmes to take account of the year end position and that the outcome of this is incorporated into the 2024/25 Quarter 1 reporting; and

(g)      note that the unaudited Annual Accounts for 2023/24 will be presented to Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee on 9 May 2024, including the Annual Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Brooks, seconded by Councillor Malik, moved as a joint amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)       note the available uncommitted funds in the General Revenue and Common Good as set out in (b) and (d) above;

(2)       note that on the 25^th of April UCAN (Scottish Charity SC036638, and a company limited by guarantee with the Registrar of Companies as UCAN (Grampian), company number 286333) launched a second fundraising round to support the next chapter of its support for its ongoing provision of care for urological related cancers affecting those in in the NHS Grampian catchment area and further afield;

(3)       note that per the Scottish Public Health Observatory data, prostate cancer accounts for 22.6% of all cancers diagnosed in men and further that prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in men;

(4)       commend the work of the Staff and Volunteers of UCAN;

(5)       having considered the Public Sector Equality Duty, agree to commit in principle an amount of £250,000 from the retained, cash balances of the Common Good as at 31 March 2024, referred to in point 1 of this amendment;

(6)       instruct the Chief Officer - Finance to carry out due diligence in line with the Council’s Following the Public Pound Policy, and where satisfied, following consultation with all Political Group Leaders, make payment to UCAN as set out in point 5; and

(7)       instruct the Chief Executive to write to Council Chief Executives in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles confirming our grant and asking them to contribute to UCAN fundraising efforts recognising that cancer does not distinguish between local authority boundaries. 

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke and Greig; for the joint amendment (4) – Councillors Brooks, Farquhar, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)      to request the Chief Officer – Finance to circulate further details of the Fuel Poverty Assistance Fund, specifically clarifying why no money had been spent this year and whether this had been referred to the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee.

In terms of Standing Order 34.1, Councillor Malik intimated that he would like this matter to be referred to full Council in order for a final decision to be taken. Councillor Malik was supported by Councillors Brooks, Farquhar and Watson.