Agenda item

To consider a report from the Chief Financial Officer, which presents the 2023/24 forward budget to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) for approval.

The Authority considered a report from the Chief Financial Officer, which presented the 2023/24 forward budget to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) for approval.

The report was summarised and it was confirmed that an increase of 1p needed to be applied to bands B and F in paragraph 33 of the report, but this was a formatting error only and the total amount remained the same.

It was highlighted that there was an exempt appendix to this report and this was considered alongside without the need to go into exempt session.

During questions Members learned:

-       All elements of firefighter pay inflation had been included, along with subsequent national insurance and pension costs;

-       Frontline capability would return to the Authority for a decision at a later date

-       The precept didn’t consider the grants being received by lower band properties, but weighted averages used for bandings were available for each District.

-       Urban Search and Rescue would continue to be funded;

Members acknowledged that the Authority learned of changes from the Home Office with often very little notice and a longer lead-in time for changes would make implementation a lot smoother.

RESOLVED

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority approved:

a)        The 2022/23 monitoring position as set out in paragraphs 14 – 21, including the £1m contribution to the Capital and Investment Risk Reserve in 2022/23.

b)        The Revenue Budget, as set out in Appendix A.

c)         The draw of £0.38m from the Transformation Reserve to support the delivery of the Year 4 Safety Plan priorities as set out in paragraph 49.

d)        The contribution of £1.5m from one-off underspends to the Capital and Investment Risk Reserve as set out in paragraph 47.

e)        The Medium Term Financial Plan, as set out in Appendix B.

f)          The Capital Programme and funding as set out in Appendix C1 and exempt Appendix C2.

g)        The Reserves Strategy as set out in Appendix D.

h)        The Treasury Management Strategy as set out in Appendix E, including the Annual Investment Strategy for 2023/24, (and the remainder of 2022/23).

i)          Delegated authority to the Chief Finance Officer to manage the Fire and Rescue Authority’s investments and borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate.

j)          The Capital and Investment Strategy as set out in Appendix F for 2023/24, (and the remainder of 2022/23).

k)         The Section 25 Report as set out in Appendix G which should be taken into account by the Authority in agreeing the budget and council tax.

l)          The council tax requirement for the Authority for the year beginning 1^st April 2023 of £57,425,898.

m)       That the Authority’s council tax be increased by £5 for a Band D property for the year beginning 1^st April 2023 and for the properties in each band to be increased by 6.63%, as set out in paragraph 18 of this report:

Band A:            £53.62                                    Band E:          £98.30

Band B:            £62.56                                    Band F:          £116.18

Band C:            £71.49                                    Band G:          £134.05

Band D:            £80.43                                    Band H:          £160.86

n)        That the precepts set out in paragraph 33 of this report, totalling £57,425,898 are issued on the billing authorities in Hampshire, requiring the payment in such instalments and on such dates set by them and previously notified to the Authority, in proportion to the tax base of each billing authority’s area as determined by them