Minutes:
The
Committee chose to scrutinise the following Cabinet Board items:
3.1 Christmas and New Year Opening Times, Libraries, Theatres,
Community Centres, Margam Country Park, Leisure
Centres and Swimming Pools 2017-18.
Members received information
relating to the Christmas and New
Year opening times as contained
within the circulated report.
Members questioned the
difference in opening times between the
different leisure
facilities. Officers explained that the discrepancies
were due to the historical
use of facilities over the festive period,
the number of direct debits
associated with the facility and the size
of its membership.
Following scrutiny the
Committee were supportive of the proposals
to be considered at Cabinet
Board.
3.2 Financing Schools- Reviewing the Funding Formula to raise
standards.
Members received information
in relation to proposed changes to
the formula for funding primary
sector schools as contained within
the circulated report.
The
Committee noted that the school estate has changed
significantly
since 2011 and the current funding formula no longer
reflects
the balance between smaller and larger schools and that
the
NPT Schools Forum had requested a review of the current
arrangements.
The Chairperson drew the
Committee’s attention to the fact that
the recommendation before
the Cabinet Board was to approve
consultation on the
proposed formula review and that the
decision taken by the Cabinet
Board would be for
immediate
implementation. Members noted an error in the report
in that the results of the
consultation would be presented back to
the Committee in mid -January
and not January 4th 2018 as stated.
Officers explained in order
to deliver education the total
amount of money to be distributed
to schools is determined
by the current formula;
this formula neither increases or
decreases the amount of
money in the Individual Schools Budget
but is the mechanism by
which the Budget is distributed amongst
individual schools and
Officers explained in detail how the current
formula operates.
Members heard how the
Review Group established had provided
professional advice on how
the formula could deliver more
equitable funding to
schools and comprised of Head Teachers
from large and small schools
serving both rural and urban areas
and had examined the current
primary sector formula line by line.
Officers explained in
detail the review group’s proposal for the
proposed changes to the
funding formula for primary sector
schools.
Members noted the proposal
to limit the financial benefit resulting
from the revised formula
for those schools with reserves in excess
of £75k and queried where
this figure had come from. Officers
explained that the Welsh
Government limit is £50k but this figure
has been derived from
careful analysis of the data via a fair and
transparent process and they
believe it is a fair, realistic and
manageable figure. Officers
stated that there are currently 8
schools with this amount of
reserves but at this stage the schools
who will benefit from the
revised funding formula are unknown.
The Committee asked if
compulsory redundancies were
anticipated as a result of
this process. Officers stated that whilst
this was a feasible
concern, everything will be done to avoid this.
Members expressed concern
that small schools appear to be in a
cycle of decline and agreed
that mitigation and helping small
schools to plan is of
utmost importance and asked if federation had
been explored. Officers
explained the ‘Small Rural School’
grant which the Welsh
Government has committed to for the next 5
years but reiterated the
importance of continual review of the
school estate and ensuring
the funding formula is fit for purpose.
The Committee queried the
figures in relation to several of the
schools and officers
explained fully the data and background to the
specific schools.
It was stated that the
review of the funding formula was to
allocate the funding to
where the pupils are as this is fair and
equitable.
Following scrutiny, the
Committee were supportive of the
proposals to be considered
at Cabinet Board.
3.3 Transition Arrangements from the Communities First to the
Employability Programme.
Members received information
in relation to the transition
Arrangements from the
Communities First to the Employability
Programme as contained
within the circulated report.
Members noted that the funding
for Communities First which has
Worked locally in NPT since
2002 is due to finish in March 2018
and that Welsh Government
has introduced an Employability
Programme which will start
in January 2018 which will be £12
million across the Country.
Members asked if the work
would still be directed at areas of
deprivation and officers
explained that although Welsh
Government have widened the
areas, the priority will be on more
deprived areas.
The Committee asked if the
funding allocated would be affected by
‘Brexit’ and Officers
confirmed that this money was not European
money so will not be
effected.
The Committee felt it was
important that the accumulated
memorabilia from Communities
First such as photographs be
returned to the communities
and that ‘Celebration Events’ be
explored.
Following scrutiny it was
agreed that the report be noted.