Agenda item

Report of the Commissioner – TO FOLLOW.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding Budget Monitoring Q2 2019/20 and the following points were made.

·         The Finance Director noted the savings set out in table 3 within the report and drew Members’ attention to the forecast pension pressure and the ongoing vacancy factor.

·         The Finance Director continued, noting that accounts payable had slipped, and would be addressed ahead of Q3. Overtime remained a pressure on budgets, given recent operation deployments. The Force was liaising with the Home Office regarding funding for policing recent Extinction Rebellion protests. The budgetary impact of Brexit remained an unknown factor. The December 2019 General Election would likely delay the outcome of the Force’s funding bid to the Home Office, but an update would be provided at the Committee’s February 2019 meeting.  

·         In terms of non-pay costs, the Force forecast £2.3m which included utilities and business rates, and the London Bridge inquest.

·         The Chairman expressed surprise at the £2.3m non-pay forecast, noting the level of work that had gone into understanding Force headcount. He queried whether, if utilities remained outstanding, this lent pressure to the Medium-Term Financial Plan.

·         The Chairman continued, welcoming the savings tracker within the report but asking that officers be clearer within reporting on risks and opportunities. For example, reporting within section six of the report implied there were no capital pressures when this was not the case. the Chairman requested that details on accounts payable be provided in quarterly reporting going forward, perhaps within an appendix.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.