Agenda item

The recommendation of the cabinet on the revenue budget report is contained in this supplemental agenda.  This was considered by the reconvened meeting of the cabinet on 15 February 2011.

Report:  See pages 1-107 of supplemental agenda 1 and pages 1-10 of supplemental agenda 2

The report had not been circulated seven clear working days in advance of the meeting.  The report was accepted by the Mayor as urgent business because the council has an obligation to set a lawful budget by the statutory deadline of 11 March 2011. 

The Mayor referred everyone to the recommendations from the cabinet meeting held on 15 February 2011, which were contained within supplemental agenda 2.

There were seven questions from members, the written responses to which were circulated on yellow paper.  There were five supplementary questions, the answers to which are attached as Appendix 1 to the minutes.

The cabinet member for finance, resources and community safety, Councillor Richard Livingstone, presented the report.

Councillor Tim McNally, seconded by Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, moved Amendment A.

During the debate on Amendment A (Councillors Peter John and Fiona Colley), Councillor Tim McNally made a point of personal explanation.  Thereafter the debate continued (Councillors Poddy Clark, Abdul Mohamed, Nick Stanton, Gavin Edwards, Helen Morrissey, Graham Neale, Nick Dolezal, Mark Gettleson, Ian Wingfield, Columba Blango, Andy Simmons, Lisa Rajan, Catherine McDonald, Rosie Shimell, Claire Hickson, Catherine Bowman, Helen Hayes, Adele Morris, Victoria Mills, Denise Capstick and Veronica Ward). 

Councillor Cleo Soanes, seconded by Councillor Althea Smith, moved that the question be now put.  The procedural motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

Following Councillor Richard Livingstone’s right of reply Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

In accordance with council assembly procedure rule 1.15(5) the following members requested that their vote in favour of Amendment A be recorded in the minutes: Councillors Anood Al-Samerai, James Barber, Columba Blango, Catherine Bowman, Michael Bukola, Denise Capstick, Poddy Clark, Robin Crookshank Hilton, Mark Gettleson, Jeff Hook, David Hubber, Paul Kyriacou, Linda Manchester, Eliza Mann, Tim McNally, Jonathan Mitchell, Adele Morris, Graham Neale, Wilma Nelson, David Noakes, Paul Noblet, Lisa Rajan, Rosie Shimell, Nick Stanton and Geoffrey Thornton.

Councillors Michael Mitchell, seconded by Councillor Lewis Robinson, moved Amendment B. 

During the debate on Amendment B (Councillors Lisa Rajan, Renata Hamvas, Dan Garfield and Councillor Nick Stanton), financial advice was sought on Amendments B and C.  The finance director advised that both amendments were arithmetically correct and would provide for robust budgets.  Thereafter the debate continued (Councillors Michael Bukola and Peter John).

Councillor Nick Dolezal, seconded by Councillor Mark Glover, moved that the question be now put.  The procedural motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

Following Councillor Richard Livingstone’s right of reply Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

Councillor Neil Coyle, seconded by Councillor the Right Revd Emmanuel Oyewole, moved Amendment C. 

Following debate (Councillors Anood Al-Samerai, Patrick Diamond and David Noakes), Councillor Nick Dolezal, seconded by Councillor Peter John, moved that the question be now put.  The procedural motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

In accordance with council assembly procedure rule 1.15(5), Councillor Toby Eckersley requested that his vote against the procedural motion be recorded in the minutes.

Amendment C was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

During the debate on the substantive motion (Councillors Toby Eckersley, Peter John, Tim McNally, Dora Dixon-Fyle, Lisa Rajan and Abdul Mohamed), the bell was rang and the Mayor announced at 10.05pm that the guillotine had fallen.

The clerk advised that in accordance with council assembly procedure rule 1.12(3 & 4), the meeting had 15 minutes in which to conclude the debate on this item, thereafter a vote would be taken.

Following the continued debate on the substantive motion (Councillors Jonathan Mitchell, Barrie Hargrove, Paul Noblet, Althea Smith and Anood Al-Samerai), Councillor Neil Coyle exercised his right of reply.

In accordance with council assembly procedure rule 1.16(2), 45% of those members present requested a recorded vote by roll call on the substantive motion, the result of which were as follows:

In favour of the substantive motion (33)

Councillors Kevin Ahern, Sunil Chopra, Fiona Colley, Neil Coyle, Patrick Diamond, Dora Dixon-Fyle, Nick Dolezal, Gavin Edwards, Dan Garfield, Norma Gibbes, Mark Glover, Stephen Govier, Renata Hamvas, Barrie Hargrove, Helen Hayes, Claire Hickson, Peter John, Lorraine Lauder, Richard Livingstone, Catherine McDonald, Darren Merrill, Victoria Mills, Abdul Mohamed, Helen Morrissey, the Right Revd Emmanuel Oyewole, Martin Seaton, Andy Simmons, Michael Situ, Tayo Situ, Althea Smith, Cleo Soanes, Veronica Ward and Ian Wingfield.

Against the substantive motion (28)

Councillors Anood Al-Samerai, James Barber, Columba Blango, Catherine Bowman, Michael Bukola, Denise Capstick, Poddy Clark, Robin Crookshank Hilton, Toby Eckersley, Mark Gettleson, Jeff Hook, David Hubber, Paul Kyriacou, Linda Manchester, Eliza Mann, Tim McNally, Jonathan Mitchell, Michael Mitchell, Adele Morris, Graham Neale, Wilma Nelson, David Noakes, Paul Noblet, Lisa Rajan, Lewis Robinson, Rosie Shimell, Nick Stanton and Geoffrey Thornton.

In abstention (nil)

Absent (1)

The Mayor declared that the substantive motion was carried.

The cabinet recommendation had been amended, therefore in accordance with the budget and policy framework procedure rule 2(g), the leader gave his consent to the amendment thus enabling the decision to be implemented with immediate effect.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the recommendations of the cabinet on 15 February 2011 for a general fund budget for 2011/12 of £323.0m and a nil council tax increase for 2011/12 be agreed (see Appendix 1 of the report which had previously been circulated on Supplemental Agenda No. 1).

2.  That the draft indicative balanced budgets of £308.3m for 2012/13 and £311.6m for 2013/14, based on a council tax increase of 2.5% for 2012/13 and 2.5% for 2013/14 subject to formal budget reports to council assembly for each of these years, be noted (see Appendix 1 of the report which had previously been circulated on Supplemental Agenda No. 1).

3.  That the savings required to deliver a balanced housing revenue account for 2011/12 be noted along with the recommendation of the cabinet for the proposals to deliver the savings (see Appendix 2 of the report which had previously been circulated on Supplemental Agenda No. 1).

4.   That council assembly notes that the voluntary sector transition fund allows for day care and lunch club providers to bid for funds to sustain their activity through a period of transformation.

5.  That council assembly invites the cabinet member for finance, resources and community safety to instruct the finance director to earmark from the contingency fund for 2011/12 a sum of £500,000 directly in support of those contracts with day care and lunch club providers due to end on 19 April 2011 to allow these providers to engage with the council on developing a model of delivery within future resources available.