Issue - meetings

To receive such reports as the Leader of the Council may wish to bring before the Council.

To receive such reports as the Leader of the Council may wish to bring before the Council.

The Leader opened his report by confirming that letters had been sent to the relevant Government departments on the resolutions passed by the County Council on 18 May regarding consideration to amending the code of conduct provision in the Localism Act 2011, and funding for free school meals.  The Leader also confimed that the Director of Children's Services had issued a communication to all schools reminding them of the updated non-statutory school uniform guidance to assist with developing and implementing their shool uniform policy and highlighting the need for schools to keep their unform policy affordable.

The Leader also updated the Council on the following:

County Deal: it was with disappointment the Leader confirmed that despite the potential benefits (new funding of £1.14bn together with extra powers and investment) and extensive discussions with all Councils and wider stakeholders, the Leaders of the three Unitary Councils of Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight had requested a separate deal, one for the Unitary Councils and one for the County area.  The Government have been consistently clear there was only one single wider Pan-Hampshire Deal open for discussion.  The Leader confirmed the County Council would continue to work constructively and meaningully with all local and regional partners to secure the best outcomes for residents, which was the opportunity the County Council had intended to strengthen through a County Deal arrangement.

County Council budget consultation: the Leader took the opportunity to remind Members that the County Council’s budget consultation would close on Sunday 23 July.  As a result of many years of underfunding by central Government, together with inflation, rising costs and demands for vital services such as social care, the budgets of councils across the country were under pressure against the backdrop of the legal requirement to deliver a balanced budget for the start of each financial year.  The Leader highlighted that the County Council faced some very difficult future spending decisions on the delivery of local services leading up to April 2025 and strongly encouraged residents and stakeholders across Hampshire to have their say.

In the meantime the Leader and Deputy Leader were continuing to actively engage with Government Ministers and Hampshire MPs regarding the financial pressures, and how they could work with the County Council to support the continued delivery of quality services for Hampshire residents in the short and long term.

Investment in adult social care: the Leader confirmed that on 18 July Cabinet had approved the commencement of a formal public consultation on the County Council’s proposals to invest £173m to transform nursing and specialist care accommodation in Hampshire over the next five to six years.  The proposals would see the Adult Social Care service concentrating on specialist nursing care, complete dementia care and short-term support to either prevent a hospital admission or support a hospital discharge.  The Leader strongly encouraged care home residents, their families and staff together with Hampshire residents and organisations to respond to the consultation, which would open at the start of September and run  ...  view the full minutes text for item 161