Issue - meetings

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

The PFCC presented the report setting out the latest forecast outturn position, highlighting the following points:

·         The current forecast outturn was for an overspend of £146,000, which represented 0.1 per cent of the budget. It was expected that this would be managed down to a small underspend by the end of the financial year.

·         The anticipated review of the police funding formula had not yet started and he would continue to push for this.

The Panel considered the report and members made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         The PFCC was questioned whether a successful outcome from the police funding formula review would mean he would be in a position not to increase the precept.

·         The situation in Northamptonshire demonstrated the advantages of bringing emergency services together under a single governance structure. The PFCC was urged to encourage the government also to move in this direction with ambulance services.

·         Northamptonshire residents were experiencing unacceptable waiting times for ambulances and the county seemed to have a lower priority than other areas in the East Midlands.

In response to a question the Chief Finance Officer advised that the current forecast underspend on force collaboration budgets related to the regional Emergency Services Network (ESN) team; it was not an underspend on the overall ESN project.

The PFCC made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         He was on the ESN project board and was confident that the right management was now in-place. The project should be delivered in 2021/22. The most significant pressure relating to the overall ESN project was the cost of continuing to run the Airwave Network for an interim period. The sale of the Airwave spectrum would eventually produce a large part of the funding for ESN.

·         The forecast overspend on the force control room budget reflected that staff were recruited in advance of need, which could result in an overspend if turnover was less than was anticipated. He was not concerned by this position as it did not have a negative effect on public safety.

·         It was likely that he would seek to increase the police precept by the rate of inflation even if the police funding formula review produced additional resources for Northamptonshire. Freezing the precept would risk creating pressures in future. It would also not provide resources for planned projects and legacy issues that needed to be addressed, such as improving NFRS buildings.

·         Establishing a single governance model for police, fire & rescue and ambulance services would involve addressing some very complex challenges. It would also not have an impact without other relevant factors being addressed, such as the effect of pressures in Accident & Emergency departments on ambulance service response times. Having an elected NHS commissioner could help to deal with the overall situation.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.