Budget transfer from Central Contingencies: Initatives: Family Support Workers and Baby Steps Universal Antenatal Programme

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A decision made 12 May 2017:

Ministerial decision reference : MD-C-2017-0038
Decision summary title: Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children (Family Support Workers and Baby Steps Universal antenatal programme)
Decision summary author	Director, Social Policy: Community and Constitutional Affairs Department	Is the decision summary public or exempt?	Public
Report title: Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children (Family Support Workers and Baby Steps Universal antenatal programme)
Report author or name of person giving report	Director, Social Policy: Community and Constitutional Affairs Department	Is the report public or exempt?	Public
Decision and reason for the decision The Chief Minister requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve a budget transfer from central contingency of up to £896,150 over 2017 – 2019. The total drawn down will be up to £223,600 in 2017, up to £300,000 in 2018 and up to £372,500 in 2019, but the amount for each year may be varied without exceeding the total amount for the three years. The monies will be used to support two initiatives that support vulnerable children: 1) up to £153,600 in 2017, up to £160,000 in 2018 and up to £160,000 in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support delivery of Family Support Workers initiative; and 2) up to £70,000 in 2017, up to £140,000 in 2018 and up to £212,500 in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support delivery of the Baby Steps universal antenatal programme. The MTFP2, as adopted by the States Assembly, included the allocation of £1.65million per year from central contingencies for initiatives that support vulnerable children (£4,950,000 in total over the period from 2017 to 2019). Further to that, on 9 November 2016, the Council of Ministers collectively agreed nine projects to be allocated a proportion of those contingencies monies (totalling up to £2,260,650 over the period from 2017 to 2019). The Council of Ministers also collectively agreed to delegate to the Chief Minister the decision to request the Treasury and Resources Minister to fund other initiatives that support vulnerable children from the remaining contingency allocation. In accordance with the Council of Ministers decision the Chief Minister, having consulted with the Children and Adults Policy Group members, is therefore requesting that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the non-recurring budget transfers, as detailed above, to the Education Department and the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department. Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year

Resource implications

There are no resource implications in relation to the Chief Minister Department.

The Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to up to £473,600 over the period 2017 to 2019 (£153,600 in 2017, up to £160,000 in 2018 and up to £160,000 in 2019. The Community and Constitutional Affairs Department’ revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £422,550 (up to £70,000 in 2017, up to £140,000 in 2018 and up to £212,500 in 2019). The central contingencies to decrease by identical amounts.

Action required

The Education Department and the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department to request the approval of Minister for Treasury and Resources for these budget transfers.

Signature

Position

Senator Ian Gorst

Chief Minister

Date signed

Effective date of the decision