Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Denise Jeffery and Sir Roger Marsh.

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests at the meeting.

There were no items that required the emption of the press and public.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November be approved.

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on capital budget monitoring for 2021/22 as at quarter 2 as well as draft capital estimates for 2022/23.

The capital spend as at October 2021 was attached at appendix 1 to the submitted report. Members noted that capital expenditure in quarter 2 represented around 38% of the revised forecast for the year.

The report provided a breakdown of the key issues and risks on Combined Authority programmes. Members noted the update and welcomed the flexibility across the programmes.

Members requested a workshop session to have a conversation around the Combined Authority’s approach to borrowing, its spending priorities, and risk appetite.

Resolved: That the financial position be noted.

Members considered a report which set out the work underway on the budget for 2022/23 as well as work underway on the approach to the use of gainshare.

Members noted the ongoing work to produce a balanced budget for 2022/23 and that a report would be taken to the Combined Authority on 9 December. The difficulties around future bus funding were noted and it was anticipated that existing funding would not be sufficient. The outcome of the Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) submitted by the Combined Authority was awaited from Government.

Members had the following questions and comments:

• That there was frustration around Government funding not matching the ambitions of the region, especially in terms of the aspirations set out in the Bus Services Improvement Plan.
• Members discussed the delay in publishing the LEP review and the expected shortfall from LEP Funding.
• Members requested that the reserve strategy and risks be brought to a future meeting to manage the high level of uncertainty around the 2022/23 budget.
• That the review of the assurance framework which aimed to simplify the route of projects through the appraisal process was welcome.

The Committee also considered the approach to the use of gainshare to deliver the Combined Authority’s investment priorities.

Members had the following questions and comments:

• That it was good to see the focus on business productivity, but this needed to be twinned with an approach which ensured equal access to all communities and good engagement.
• That the climate change investment priority was essential and that the Combined Authority should do more to articulate the interventions being made.
• That the impacts on carbon, equality, diversity, and inclusion, and inclusive growth would be factored into all investment decisions taken by the Combined Authority.

Resolved: That the information on budget and gainshare be noted.

Members considered a report that provided an update on the development of business plans for 2022/23 as well as the work underway to re-shape the overarching corporate priorities.

There had been substantial change to the organisation during 2021 which had led to different areas of focus and new priorities and subsequently, the current corporate priorities required amendment.

The committee welcomed the approach taken to the refresh of the corporate priorities and had the following questions and comments:

·       Members discussed whether ‘levelling up’ should be more prominent in the draft corporate priorities.

·       That the health and wellbeing strategic outcome could be re-worded or amended to make clear the Combined Authority’s role in addressing the wider determinates of health in the region.

·       That it was vital that the strategic outcomes were underpinned by good data, and it would be useful to see some headline aspirations included in the strategic outcomes.

·       That improving productivity was a key part of the Combined Authority’s work and could be more prominent in the draft corporate priorities.

The revised corporate priorities would be brought back to a future meeting of the committee with a focus on the economy added in and quantitative indicators across the priorities.

Resolved: That the report and the Committee’s feedback be noted.

Members considered a report which set out the work underway to embed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) into the work of the Combined Authority.

A review has been undertaken of existing action plans around EDI which aimed to consolidate the work and create appropriate governance and reporting structures to track progress.

The Committee welcomed the work on EDI especially the use of equality impact assessments and the revised equality impact assessment toolkit.

Resolved: That the progress made to embed EDI through the work of the Combined Authority be noted.