Issue - meetings

Dewi Morgan (CJC Head of Finance (Statutory Finance Officer) and Sian Pugh (CHC Assistant Head of Finance) to present the report.

To accept the Corporate Joint Committee's projected expenditure for 2024/25 as submitted in Appendix 1.

The report was presented by Sian Pugh, Assistant Head of Finance.

RESOLVED to accept the Corporate Joint Committee's projected expenditure for 2024/25 as submitted in Appendix 1.

DISCUSSION

The August 2024 financial review was submitted, and a table corresponding to Appendix 1 of the report was shown. ⁠ It was explained that the budget was shown on the left-hand side and an outlook of the situation to the end of the financial year on the right-hand side, with the final column showing the over/under-spend per heading.

It was noted, based on the information currently available, that a net underspend of £200,000 was forecast by the end of the financial year. An underspend of £289,000 was projected against the Employees heading.⁠ It was noted that the anticipated expenditure included the costs of the Chief Executive's secondment, the support of the Executive Assistant plus the secondment costs of the Implementation Programme Manager, one planning position and a part-time Language Officer.

It was explained that although a net overspend of £54,000 was indicated against the supplies and services heading, the net position was a £26,000 underspend after taking into account the grant income from the Welsh Government which funds the overspend on the external consultants heading. 

It was reported that the underspend on the legal heading would be used to fund part of the overspend on the legal costs shown under Set-up Costs. The £83,000 expenditure on legal under this heading included the costs of an external law firm as well as two legal consultants who had been commissioned to provide specialist advice and support on the establishment of the Joint Committee. It was added that there was also expenditure of £103,000 on external consultants which related to the CJC's project management costs.

It was noted that there was a £100,000 expenditure on the Investment Zones, and it was hoped that this would be funded from the administration allowance of the Government's Investment Zone grant, but without formal confirmation, both Wrexham and Flintshire County Councils have between them underwritten £50,000 of this expenditure with the remaining £50,000 to be funded from the CJC's reserve.

The members gave thanks for the report. Further clarification was sought on the £54,000 overspend against the supplies and services heading. It was explained that the £54,000 included £81,000 of overspending on external consultants – this expenditure related to a grant that had been approved last year. In the income part we see the £81,000 Welsh Government grant which funded it, which then boils down to an underspend of £26,000.