Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the PCC Chief Finance Officer which provided details of the proposed revenue budget and policing precept for 2016/17, the proposed capital budget for 2016/17, the revised revenue and capital budgets for 2015/16 the medium term financial plan for 2016/17 to 2019/20 and the robustness of the estimates and adequacy of reserves (for copy see file of Minutes).

In reply to a question from Councillor S Forster about the ‘top sliced’ funding streams relating to Counter Terrorism, Firearms and Efficiency the Chief Finance Officer confirmed that Panel Members would be informed when details of allocations for these streams were known.

The Chief Finance officer referred to policing numbers and informed the Panel that Officer numbers would reduce from 1,200 in 2015/16 to 1,150 in 2016/17, however the reductions would not be from frontline or response Officers.  It was planned to build Officer numbers back to 1,200 over the coming years.  In response to a question from Councillor Forster as to whether the Panel could be reassured this would happen, the Chief Finance Officer informed the Panel that the force would be trying to recruit 80 Officers each year for the next 2 to 3 years.  The number of PCSOs would increase from 155 to 170 over the coming year and 30 staff posts would be lost through Early Retirement/ Voluntary Redundancy, with no compulsory redundancies.

Councillor Boyes welcomed the increase in PCSO numbers and asked what the force reserves were as a percentage of budget.  The Chief Finance Officer referred the Panel to the table at paragraph 22 of the report which showed reserves at £11.662m, just less than 10% of the Revenue Budget.  Although this was lower than other forces, the Chief Finance Officer assured the Panel that he was comfortable with this level of reserves.

In response to a query from Mr Dodwell about the Police Innovation Fund the Chief Finance Officer informed the Panel that this was a fund of £55m to which forces could submit bids around areas of innovation, and was over and above mainstream funding.  Durham had not previously received the level of funds from this source which it thought it might, and bids were invited annually, with forces finding out whether they had been successful by the end of March.

Councillor Hopgood asked whether the increase in the minimum wage would have any impact of the force budget.  The Chief Finance Officer replied that although the minimum paid police staff were already above this level, it could have an impact on some contracts the force had.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.