Inverness City Forum
7.30pm on Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Town House, Inverness
Highland Council Budget Consultation
Present
Councillor Sandy Park (Convener)
Councillor Michael Foxley (Leader)
Councillor David Alston (Budget Leader)
Provost Jimmy Gray (Chairman)
Alistair Dodds (Chief Executive)
Alan Geddes (Depute Chief Executive and Director of Finance)
William Gilfillan (Corporate Manager)
David Haas (City Manager)
Stewart Wardlaw (Ward Manager)
Jimmy Flint (Ward Manager)
Councillor Thomas Prag
Councillor John Ford
Councillor Donnie Kerr
Councillor Janet Campbell
Councillor David Henderson
Councillor Hamish Wood
Councillor Ken Macleod
Councillor Peter Corbett
89 members of the public
Presentations by:
Councillor David Alston, Budget Leader about the national and local financial situation for public services and the local authority. Potentially cuts of about 12% over 3 – 4 years. We need to look at the wellbeing of the Council area as a whole.
Alan Geddes, Depute Chief Executive and Director of Finance about the financial situation faced by Highland Council over the next 4 years.
Discussion groups at each of the 16 tables, to consider the key budget questions which are:
• How can we use our community facilities differently?
• How can we run services differently?
• How can individuals and communities take more responsibility for doing things?
• How can we keep our staff and borrowing costs down?
Oral Questions – (no written questions were submitted)
Q.1 How much did the consultation cost?
A. (DA) Exact cost not known, however as much as the paperwork as possible is recycled. Engagement is a very important part of the decision making process and is highly valued.
Q.2 Why isn’t the Council privatising more of it’s services – the private sector is far more effective in delivering services than the Council?
A. (DA) All services must be open to scrutiny for efficiency and effectiveness. However the public sector has a vital role in the Highlands and employs many thousands of people and therefore underpins the economy. Private sector relies on a vibrant public sector to promote growth within the Highland economy. This is in the context of ensuring efficient public services and that the Council makes the decision as to which sector of the economy is best to provide these.
(AD) The Council is always ensuring that Best Value principles are applied. Recent contracts awarded to the private sector include:
• Home care.
• The use of Scotland Excel for private sector procurement of smaller contracts.
• The Council’s Information Technology requirements are met by Fujitsu.
The Council is also working on projects to share services with other Councils across Scotland.
Q.3 Once the consultation has been concluded, will the affected areas of the community be informed of the outcomes? An undertaking for this to be done is needed.
A. (DA) We will evaluate and decide on the approach needed to address the budget deficit and will properly publicise when we reach these decisions. The recent action taken to adjust the budgets available by voluntary organisations, prove that we will engage and give the community a chance to absorb any budget reductions. Although the decision to reduce the budget was made in February 2010, the budget reduction will not be put into place until April 2011, thereby giving affected organisations a chance to adjust.
Q. 4 Why does the Council use so many outside consultants?
A. (AD) The Council is constantly evaluating its use of consultants however some consultants have specialist skills that are not available within the Council. In order to make sure that the Council makes the right decision it is essential that it gets the right advice and in some cases this can only be given by specialists however we do need to maintain a close watch on our use of consultants and they will be used as little as possible.
Q.5 Why isn’t the Council reducing the salary of staff who receive in excess of £25,000 per annum by 20%?
A. (DA) Senior staff pay levels are a question for national governance. They are negotiated nationally and if there is a decision then the Council will abide by it. It is not for the Council to decide as if it did do this on its own. All that would happen is that quality staff would leave the Council and the service would deteriorate.
Q.6 The Council has too many middle management, why aren’t their numbers being reduced drastically?
A. (DA) Staffing levels have been reduced in order for the Council to work smarter and this process will be continued.
Q.7 The number of schools should be reduced, why isn’t the Council deleting the need for denominational schools?
A. (MF) The law requires denominational schools. There is a need to continue to take care to ensure that any reduction in the number of schools is handled effectively and without detriment to the need to provide the best possible standard of education to the Highland community.
Q.8 Can the Council give reassurance that the Curriculum for Excellence will not prejudiced by any budget reductions?
A. (AD) We need to invest in teaching but this needs to be done in an effective and efficient manner so as not to preclude the proper development of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Q.9 Why is the Council being obstructive with regard to allowing Asda to find a location within the city to invest in?
A. (Provost) The Council has not been obstructive. The Planning application process requires each application to be dealt with on its own merits and that is what has been done to date.
Q.10 How can the Council justify spending approximately £30,000,000 on a new school (Inverness Academy) and £72,000,000 on a new college?
A (AD) Inverness Royal Academy needs investment. £30,000,000 is an estimate and the figure could be less. Further, the Council is not responsible for the planned investment to be undertaken by Inverness College. It is understood that the College is looking for funding sources from central government and others to help them.
Q.11 Can the Council confirm that (as we have done for our own organisation – Cameron Centre) voluntary organisations should be preparing a budgets savings plan for their own budget?
A. (DA) It is good to hear that you as an organisation has shown the initiative that we are looking for. It would be very good to see your actions replicated by others.
(MF) savings have to be made and it is a credit to your organisation that you have taken this step.
Q.12 Will the development of the City Vision be prejudiced by any of these budget cut proposals?
A. (AD) The consultation process will ensure that the Council has all the information it needs to make balanced decisions.
Q.13 Is the Council able to give an assurance that the level of service provided to the community by day care centres will not be reduced by any budget cuts?
A. (DA) We need to establish what is the right level of service for day care. It is by being accurate in the way we establish what particular service that is provided makes the most difference that we will be able to make the service more effective and efficient.
Q.14 Can the Council give further assurance on this as day care centres take up the slack left by the National Health Service in not being able to deliver on certain aspects of community care?
A. (DA) The Council will be looking at all aspects and evaluating them to ensure an effective service is provided.
(MF) The Council needs to ensure that services across all providers particularly the Council and NHS, work effectively and efficiently to reduce costs.
The Forum ended at 9.15pm