To consider any issues from Council or any of the Scrutiny Committees:

Report from Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Smoking Cessation – TO FOLLOW

Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group Final Report – TO FOLLOW

Report from the Meeting Housing Need Task and Finish Group – TO FOLLOW

RESOLVED: 

A.   That the recommendation of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be supported as follows: 

That Cabinet considers and ensure that all alternative means of delivering smoking cessation services are explored

B.   That the recommendations of the Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group be supported as follows:

That Cabinet consider the issues and observations set out within the report.

That a Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group should be in place for 2019/20 for the development of the Financial Strategy 2020-2023.

Report from Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Smoking Cessation Services

The Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee outlined the  significant adverse impact that would be caused by the loss of the smoking cessation service.  The number of people living with disabling illness was likely to increase and add to social care costs and it would increase the risk of harm to babies born to mothers who smoke.  The Committee asked that Cabinet consider and ensure that all alternative means of delivering smoking cessation services be explored. 

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Services, Health and Social Housing, thanked the Committee for its work, and said he shared its concerns around the inequity of public health funding for Shropshire.  He reported that the Director of Public Health was doing everything he could to fulfil statutory functions and confirmed that Cabinet would explore every opportunity to look at alternative means of delivering smoking cessation support. 

Report from Performance Management Scrutiny Committee – Final Report of Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group

The Chair of the Performance Management Scrutiny Committee thanked Portfolio Holders and Directors for attending meetings of the Task and Finish Group and for providing the information requested.  She presented the report and drew attention to the pressures of delivering services in a large rural county and the need to make some very hard decisions and prioritise mandatory services. The Group had expressed concerns that some decisions being made now to balance the budget would lead to greater costs in future. 

In response to a question, the Leader of the Council said that the additional £2m received in the  budget settlement would be placed in reserves as this would be prudent pending the uncertain results of the Comprehensive Spending Review and Fairer Funding Review. 

In response to questions regarding savings from Digital Transformation, the Deputy Leader confirmed that implementation had taken longer than expected, but it was better to get things right first time.  Savings would be the same but over an elongated timescale that would match the budget. 

RESOLVED: 

A.    That the recommendation of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be supported as follows: 

Cabinetconsiders and ensure that all alternative means of delivering smoking cessation services are explored

B.    That the recommendations of the Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group be supported as follows:

Cabinet consider the issues and observations set out within the report.

That a Financial Strategy Task and Finish Group should be in place for 2019/20 for the development of the Financial Strategy 2020-2023.