Meeting documents

To consider Item 7

The Vice-Chairman introduced the report and advised Members that it was another good news story. The residual favourable variance for the year of £170k was a good outturn and the Chief Fire Officer and Senior Management Team should be congratulated for the good work on achieving this outcome.

The Director of Finance and Assets also referred the Committee to the residual favourable variance of £170k and advised that money had been put aside throughout the year, rather than at the end of the year as in previous years. He also advised there was a degree of slippage in terms of capital, which related to property, vehicles and control but would be caught up with within the year.

In respect of the retirement profile, the Director of Finance and Assets stated that the establishment line flattened, but when the Authority launched a new Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) things could change.

The Chief Fire Officer was particularly pleased to advise that reserves had not been used and although it had been a tough year, the Authority was coming out of it with a net underspend. 

The Chief Fire Officer also told Members that the IRMP would not be based solely on cost. It would be based on the Authority’s IRMP and on the plummeting risk levels in society. He told Members there were fewer calls, deaths and injuries every year, and this steady decline was an appropriate and balanced way to measure a reduction in the workforce by looking at the risks that were prevalent to the people served and protected and that would be the approach recommended to the Authority.

A question was asked regarding the Employee Direct Costs saving of £710k and whether there was any direct relationship to vacancies the Authority was carrying and not recruiting for. It was explained that there were a lot of costs taken out by using consultants and temporary staff. Working practices had not changed but had become more efficient. An example was Control: staff had left and not been replaced as the Authority was moving to the new Control room partnership later this year.

A question was asked regarding the completion date of the Control room project. The date for completion was given as 10 December 2014.

RESOLVED -

1.                                           That the provisional outturn forecast for the Fire Authority as at 31 March 2014 be noted.

2.           That the residual balance of the underspend be transferred to the redundancy and early retirement reserve once the final outturn figures have been confirmed.

3.           That the £3,058k financing of carried forward capital commitments for slipped schemes be approved.

4.                           That the virements as detailed at the end of section 10 of the report be authorised.

5.                           That the capital budget virement as detailed at the end of section 10 of the report be authorised.

6.                           That delegated authority be given to the Treasurer in consultation with the lead member for finance to authorise any late changes to the movements in reserves and capital slippage amounts resulting from accounting adjustments needing to be made during the year-end closedown process.

7.                           That should any changes to the amounts referred to above be required, then the Treasurer will report these to Members at the next available meeting.