Solihull Council

Comments

072Cab02

Establishment of Schools Forum for Solihull

The Cabinet authorised the Corporate Director Education and Children’s Services to:

(i) establish a Schools Forum in the form determined by Cabinet;

(ii) conduct elections for Schools Members of the Forum;

(iii) seek Forum representatives for Non-Schools Members and Observers from agreed nominating bodies;

(iv) provide administrative support as necessary for the efficient operation of the Forum;

(v) arrange the first meeting of the Forum is held by 31 March 2003; and

(vi) to adopt the recommendations as set out in Appendix A to the report.

To confirm the role, composition and working of the Solihull Schools Forum.

27 December 2002

073Cab02

2003/04 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Budget Framework.

The Cabinet:

(i) noted the 2003/04 Provisional Finance Settlement and agreed to receive a further report on 7 January 2003 on the proposed response;

(ii) requested Cabinet Members, Opposition Spokespersons and Lead Directors to scrutinise the baseline budget for inescapable service pressures and opportunities for savings;

(iii) subject to (ii) above noted the continuation of existing services would result in a baseline budget of £198m and a Council Tax increase of approximately 5%;

(iv) considered the implications of passporting education, social services, other services and the option of spending at FSS and the likely pressures from DfES and DoH;

(v) in considering (ii) and (iv) above requested that Cabinet Members, Opposition Spokespersons and the Lead Directors evaluate passporting, inescapable service pressures and savings using the approach outlined in paragraph 6.3.5.;

(vi) approved that a proposed school budget be declared by Cabinet on 7 January 2003 when the full details of the provisional settlement have been received and evaluated;

(vii) agreed a suggested budget allocation based on a zero based approach during this period of significant change, as outlined in paragraph 6.3.6;

(viii) noted the work being prepared on the three year Council Tax Plan outlined in paragraph 6.3.7 of the report; and

(ix) considered the proposed HRA Budget Strategy.

To inform Cabinet of the Provisional Financial Settlement for 2003/04 for the General Fund, consider a proposed General Fund Budget framework and Housing Revenue Account budget strategy.

27 December 2002.