Budget transfer from Central Contingency to Education Department: Early Help Approach and Young Enquiry Service

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A decision made 15 December 2016:

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2016-0032
Decision Summary Title:	Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children (Early Help Approach and Young Enquiry Service)		Date of Decision Summary:	23 November 2016
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Finance		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children (Early Help Approach and Young Enquiry Service)		Date of Written Report:	23 November 2016
Written Report Author:	Head of Finance		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: One off budget transfers of up to £85,000 annually in 2017-2019 and up to £180,000 annually in 2017-2019 from Central Contingency to the Education Department to support delivery of Early Help Approach and development of the Young Enquiry Service respectively.
Decision(s): The Minister for Education requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve budget transfers of up to £85,000 annually in 2017-2019 and up to £180,000 annually in 2017-2019 from Central Contingency to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure to support delivery of Early Help Approach and development of the Young Enquiry Service respectively. The Minister for Education also requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to increase the Education Department’s headcount by 4.0 FTE.
Reason(s) for Decision: 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 that Early Years Approach and the Young Enquiry Service should be allocated a proportion of those contingency monies, that proportion being up to £85,000 annually in 2017-2019 and £180,000 annually in 2017-2019 respectively. The Education Minister therefore requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the non-recurring budget transfers of up to £85,000 annually in 2017-2019 and £180,000 annually in 2017-2019 from the Central Contingency to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure. To Education Minister requested the increase in headcount in order to ensure compliance with P67/1999 which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States. 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 or the insurance fund of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.
Resource Implications: The Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure will increase by up to £265,000 annually in 2017-2019 and the Central Contingency will decrease by the same amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for the period of the current MTFP 2016 to 2019.
Action required: Director of Social Policy to advice Financial Director, Education that the decision has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy Rod Bryans Minister for Education
Date Signed:		Date of Decision: