Decision details

(1)       The consolidated revenue budget monitoring position as at 30 November 2019 was noted.

(2)       The draft West Midlands Combined Authority consolidated revenue budget was approved for consultation. This included:

(a)       the budget requirement for transport delivery 2020/21 comprising three elements:

(i)         £114.7m a year to be funded from the existing transport levy mechanism;

(ii)        £1.4m to be funded from grant awarded by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee; and

(iii)       a transfer from earmarked reserves of £3.65m.

(b)       the West Midlands Combined Authority Delivery budget requirement for 2020/21 of £142.0m comprising of six elements:

(i)         £125.8m Adult Education spending to be funded from Adult Education Budget funding devolved by the Department for Education;

(ii)        £8.3m to be funded from other devolution deal grants;

(iii)       £4.6m to be funded from Constituent Authority fees (fees to remain at the same level as 2019/20);

(iv)       £0.4m to be funded from Non-Constituent Authority and observer fees (fees to remain at the same level as 2019/20);

(v)        £2.2m to be funded from other income; and

(vi)       a transfer from reserves of £0.8m.

(3)       The Mayoral Office budget for 2020/21 of £0.8m, to be funded from additional confirmed Mayoral capacity funding of £0.8m, was approved for consultation and scrutiny.

(4)       It was noted that the Mayor had indicated that there would be no mayoral precept during the remainder of his current term of office.

(5)       An application to the Living Wage Foundation to become an accredited Real Living Wage employer was approved in principle.

(6)       The West Midlands Combined Authority’s indicative 5-year Medium Term Financial Plan was noted.

(7)       The draft Transport Capital Programme was approved for consultation.

(8)       The planned spend on the Investment Programme over the three-year period was noted.

(9)       It was approved that surplus cash balances generated from the Collective Investment Fund and Residential Investment Fund were used to support the West Midlands Combined Authority Delivery budget, thus minimising Constituent and Non-Constituent Authority contributions.

(10)     The matters identified by Overview and Scrutiny Committee that arose out of the Mayoral Q&A on 18 December 2019 were noted.