Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved to recommend the following to the Public Accounts Select Committee in regards to budget cut proposal RES20:

1)    Children and Young People Select Committee re-iterate the comment below from Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee:

“That the true impact of the proposed cut and more details of the special characteristics of the nurseries involved needed to be known and understood prior to making a decision on the proposal so that the potential equalities impact on users can be outlined.”

2)    More information on the nurseries’ charging structures should be known prior to a decision being made.

3)    More information on the history of the subsidy to the nurseries should be understood prior to a decision being made.

5.1       David Austin, Acting Executive Director for Corporate Resources introduced the report to the Committee. In the discussion that followed, the following key points were raised:

·         A referral to CYP Select Committee from Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee was tabled at the meeting.

·         Members of the Committee expressed agreement with the referral.

·         A number of concerns were raised regarding the budget cut proposal RES 20 on nursery lettings. The Committee requested clarification as to why the anomaly had gone on for so long and expressed concerns regarding the lack of information and understanding of the possible impacts of the cuts.

·         Members of the Committee asked for clarification of the fee structure and history of the nurseries, and that a full Equalities Analysis Assessment be done prior to a decision being made on this cut proposal, as well as information on fees and places offered.

·         A member of the Committee raised a concern as to whether there were cuts to Clyde Nursery. The Committee heard that the nursery was Council maintained so the concerns the member had heard from residents related to the National funding formula. The Director of Education agreed to brief the Committee member separately on the National Fair Funding Campaign.

·         The previous proposed cut to the crossing patrol would be looked at once a full risk assessment had been carried out. Once this had happened, the proposals would go to the Children and Young People Select Committee and the Sustainable Development Select Committee for scrutiny prior to a decision being made by the Mayor and Cabinet.

·         Capital spend information was provided for scrutiny at the request of the Public Accounts Select Committee.

·         There was currently no requirement for school expansion for additional school places in mainstream schools.

·         The capital spend to date information in the report was the figures from May. The update monitoring from September 2019 could be sent to members.

5.2       RESOLVED:

The Committee resolved to recommend the following to the Public Accounts Select Committee in regards to budget cut proposal RES20:

1)    Children and Young People Select Committee re-iterate the comment below from Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee:

“That the true impact of the proposed cut and more details of the special characteristics of the nurseries involved needed to be known and understood prior to making a decision on the proposal so that the potential equalities impact on users can be outlined.”

2)    More information on the nurseries’ charging structures should be known prior to a decision being made.

3)    More information on the history of the subsidy to the nurseries should be understood prior to a decision being made.