Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wirral Council 27th September 2011 Part 4 Financial Monitoring Statement, Budget Projections 2012/2015

The committee went to Agenda item 2: Financial Monitoring Statement. Ian Coleman, Director of Finance said this had been brought forward from the Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 15th September. Cllr Phil Gilchrist said it was for background. The report was noted. The committee then considered Budget Projections 2012/2015. Cllr Gilchrist said … Continue reading “Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wirral Council 27th September 2011 Part 4 Financial Monitoring Statement, Budget Projections 2012/2015”

The committee went to Agenda item 2: Financial Monitoring Statement. Ian Coleman, Director of Finance said this had been brought forward from the Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 15th September.

Cllr Phil Gilchrist said it was for background. The report was noted.

The committee then considered Budget Projections 2012/2015. Cllr Gilchrist said there was “nothing to cheer us up”. He asked about the 2011 Census and how significant it was? Would it come in over the timescale of the Budget? Ian Coleman said he had spoken to the Office of National Statistics in 2001 after the poor response rate on Wirral to make sure it was not repeated. The Office of National Statistics had watched authorities that had problems in 2001. He mentioned the Deputy Director of Finance. The Office of National Statistics had commented on the high response rate and had confirmed it was be available in late 2012. It would therefore affect the 2013 grant settlement.

Cllr Gilchrist expressed his relief.
Cllr Tony Cox asked a question about page 13 (Appendix) specifically the Formula Grant line compared to page 5 (Financial Monitoring Statement 2011/2012 Appendix) and the National Non Domestic Rate line. He asked if the National Non Domestic Rate was part of the Formula Grant.

Cllr Gilchrist said he took it for granted [that it was].

Cllr Alan Brighouse said he was “slightly confused”. He asked if the efficiency investment funding was to be increased by an extra £2 million every year? He was slightly confused as he could not see the £3 million revised pension contribution drop out due to the early voluntary redundancies? He also asked about the £1.7 million IT savings which he would expect to see appearing?

Looking back over the last 12 months

Looking back over the last half-year or so since this blog started, what were the stories and pages on this blog that have captured the public’s attention and brought them to this blog?

There was the story about the 2011 Census, which many people had questions about ranging from why was there no question 17 (it was a question asking if you understand, speak, read or write Welsh).

The About John Brace” page was popular and attracted a number of comments. It’ll be updated soon.

This Cabinet meeting about the Conservative-Lib Dem budget and Labour not being happy was read over a hundred times.

Merseytravel’s response on Mersey Tunnel’s issues also aroused interest.

The pages about protest outside Birkenhead County Court regarding Council Tax and the Save our Forests campaign were read just a bit more than stories about the Chinese New Year celebrations in Liverpool, HMS Campbeltown, ID Cards being scrapped or the Labour Chair of Merseytravel using his casting vote to increase Mersey Tunnel tolls.

More local issues also aroused interest such as the Lib Dem plan to invest £1.8 million in Cathcart Street primary school as a result of the closure of Cole Street primary school and the relocation of the Children’s Centre across the road to Cathcart Street Primary School, how much councillors are paid (which was used by some parties during the election to show how some councillors were getting £50,000+/year), Arriva not stopping its buses at the new bus stop near Tesco, the Lib Dem Mayor at Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm, Flaybrick cemetery flytipping and the Corsair in Bidston Village being demolished.

Over the Winter the issue of gritting and bin collections was on resident’s minds. The street level crime website and minimum price proposals for alcohol were also topics the public were interested in.

In total there have been 5,557 views of pages on this website and it has been read keenly by certain councillors and others. Yet who knows what the public will be wanting from its elected representatives in the next 12 months?

Census 2011 – Continued – Further Questions

Some of these I answered yesterday, but there are some more people have now.

Q. Why isn’t the question about religion compulsory?
A. It always has been voluntary (as far back as I can recall for at least the last 100 years). I’m not sure why it is now, but there used to be discrimination on religious grounds in the workplace regarding promotion for government jobs. Information on people’s religion has been used previously for ethnic cleansing. We only have to look to the history of Northern Ireland to see why it could cause problems if you made this a mandatory question as some people don’t trust government with this information.

Q. Why is there no question 17 in the census?
A. Q.17 is Can you understand, speak, read or write Welsh? so it doesn’t appear on the English Census.

Q. Is there a legal obligation to fill in the census?
A. Yes.

Q. What if I’m on holiday for the census?
A. You still need to fill it in, and if on holiday in the UK registered as a visitor where you are on the 27th March.

Q. Can I be fined for not filling out the census?
A. Yes.

Q. Can I refuse to answer some questions on the census?
A. Yes, the religion question. As to the rest I’m unusure.

Q. Does the government census get sold to marketing companies?
A. Census data is given away for free in its raw data form after 100 years and is used to compile statistics before that. Basically the answer is no.

Q. Is information on a census form checked?
A. There would be checks done on the statistics before they are published, however every detail on every census form returned won’t be double-checked.

Q. In what order are census forms sent out?
A. I don’t know.

Census 2011 – Forms in post and on way

Census 2011 – Forms in post and on way

Census 2011 in post and on way (picture of being delivered to a letterbox)
Census 2011 in post and on way (picture of being delivered to a letterbox)

Census forms are in the post and should be with residents of Bidston & St. James in the next few weeks. For the first time Census forms can be filled out online on the Census 2011 website. In fact, the government prefers this method as it saves time deciphering people’s handwriting. Each Area Forum has had a presentation on the Census. Members of the public have had various common questions which I will attempt to answer here.

  1. Is filling out a census form compulsory?
    A. Yes, it is. The legal requirement to complete a census return, for England and Wales, is set out in Section 8 (1) of the Census Act 1920 and in the Census (England and Wales) Order 2009, Census (England) Regulations 2010 and Census (Wales) Regulations 2010. People can be fined up to £1,000 for not completing it. However, there is help. As well as help and guidance online, the census can be provided in many languages (if English is not your first language), audio tape, large print and other formats (eg braille) for people with disabilities.

There is also a census help line on 0300 0201 101 (calls charged at local call cost) available 8am to 8pm (Mon-Fri), 9am to 4pm, (Sat-Sun) and 8pm – 8pm on the weekend of the 26th/27th March.

  1. Can you refuse to answer census questions?
    A. As with earlier censuses the question on religion in voluntary. However all other questions are compulsory.
  2. What if I’m away on holiday on 27th March, do I still need to include my details?
    A. People need to be included where they usually live, whether they are resident on the 27th March or not. If you are staying at another address in the United Kingdom (UK) on census night you should be included as a visitor on the questionnaire for that address.
  3. Why are the questions on the English Census form not in numerical order; is there a missing question?
    A. The missing question relates to the fact there are different questions asked for the Census in Wales. Those receiving the census form in England are not asked a question about the Welsh language, so it looks like there is a missing question on their census questionnaire even though there isn’t.
  4. Will the information be kept private?
    A. The information will be compiled into statistics. After 100 years (as in earlier censuses) the information will be made available to the public. Information provided as part of the census will be kept confidential.
  5. Electoral roll (details of who can vote) is sold to marketing companies (for those who don’t opt out). Will census information be sold in the same way?
    A. No, it’ll be kept confidential, however the statistical information based on returns will be provided free of charge.

If you have any questions about the Census, please leave a comment and I will do my best to answer it. Filling out the Census forms is important as Wirral Council and government departments are given money based on the information given in the Census. If just a few percent of Wirral people don’t send back their form it could lead to millions of pounds lost out by Wirral to spend on its residents.

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