The Panel is asked to elect a Chair for the Council year 2015/16.

The Chair must be a member of the Scrutiny Committee.

Christian Wall from the Municipal Bonds Agency (MBA) is attending to speak with the Panel about options of borrowing from or investing in municipal bonds.

This follows on from an item in October 2014 where the Panel considered a briefing note from the Council’s Head of Finance, the MBA business case summary and a questions and answers document.  These are included again for background information.

The Panel may wish to explore and consider:

-       The progress the MBA has made towards its aim of reducing Councils’ capital costs,

-       The financial implications and risks of either investing in or borrowing from the MBA, and whether these have changed since October,

-       Whether the Council’s investment and borrowing requirements have changed since October or are expected to change in the short-medium term (for example as a result of new government’s policies).

-       Whether the Panel wishes to produce a report with one or more recommendations to the City Executive Board in September.

Steve Drummond from the Low Carbon Hub (LCH) has been invited to provide a briefing and speak with the Panel about the LCH funding model. 

The Panel may wish to explore:

-       Whether and how this model could be applied by the City Council, for example to generate funding for new affordable housing,

-       The financial implications, risks and resource implications of doing so,

-       How this model compares with other options for generating capital funding,

-       Whether the Panel wishes to produce a report with one or more recommendations to the City Executive Board in September.

The Scrutiny Committee selected the Corporate Debt Policy from the Council’s Forward Plan for pre-scrutiny by the Finance Panel, before it goes to the City Executive Board on 9 July.

The Panel may wish to explore and consider:

-       The level of arrears for all types of debts,

-       Changes to the policy and the reasons for these,

-       The identified risks, equalities impacts and mitigation measures,

-       How officers will differentiate between the debtor who won’t pay, and the debtor who can’t pay, and determine what action is appropriate in either case,

-       Progress and obstacles towards having a ‘single view of debt’ (the Inequality Panel has supported moves towards this),

-       What approaches debt collection agencies can employ in recovering debts on behalf of the City Council,

-       Whether to produce a report with one or more recommendations to the City Executive Board on 9 July.

The Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 4 2014/15 is going to the City Executive Board on 9 July 2015. 

The Finance Panel is responsible for scrutinising the Council’s budgetary performance and is asked to pre-scrutinise the financial elements of this end of year integrated performance report.

The Panel may wish to produce a report with one or more recommendations to the City Executive Board on 9 July.

For the Panel to note and agree its work programme for 2015/16.

Provisional 2015/16 Finance Panel dates are below:

3 November

14 January

28 January

7 April

The Panel may wish to agree changes to these provisional dates. 

Meetings start at 5.30pm