Budget Cycle and Preparation for Spending Review Keith Darragh – Assistant Director (Resources)

Budget Cycle – Planning to Settlement Continuous monitoring of demand, expenditure and resources available. City Council formal business planning and budget cycle –Timescale is October 10 – March 11 –Headlines on funding announced in Spending Review October 20 th –Detailed Local Government Settlement – first week December –Consultation and clarification on funding resources available – December / January –Budget Options evaluated by early February –Budget set end of February through Council

Budget Setting - Considerations Service planning and configuration dependent on –Balance of statutory responsibilities / long and short term needs / local service priorities for Salford –Balance between resources available and spending plans –Legal requirement to set a balanced budget Spending plans = Resources –Within that context services must be affordable

Resources – Spending Review Current knowledge –Protect vulnerable – but also reduce public spending deficit eg target reduction of 20% of people of working age in receipt of Disability Living Allowance –Reduction in spending on universal benefits Eg child benefit –Reduced number of quangos – but functions remain ?

Resources – Forward look Funding will be tight for the foreseeable future Need to evidence value of services funded from public funds Need to demonstrate excellent value for money (economy, efficiency and effectiveness) Salford – –Good partnership working, –Effective services for Adult Social Care –Review, re-evaluation will be strong feature of planning –Need to work within resources we have available

Way forward - Partnership Any suggestions on Economy Efficiency Effectiveness