Budget transfer from Central Contingency Funding to Education, Sport and Culture: Jersey Heritage Trust: Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund

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A decision made 22 May 2014:

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2014-0011
Decision Summary Title:	Central Contingency Funding allocation to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT)		Date of Decision Summary:	15th May 2014
Decision Summary Author:	Finance Manager		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Central Contingency Funding allocation to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT)		Date of Written Report:	15th May 2014
Written Report Author:	Finance Manager		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Central Contingency (one-off) funding allocation to Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT).
Decision(s): The Minister for ESC requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources (T&R) approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to the ESC revenue head of expenditure of £315,000 in 2014 and 2015 to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for JHT.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for T&R is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure to heads of expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year. The requirement for JHT funding was identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General and independent consultants engaged by Economic Development Department. The need for the fund is to carry out a rolling programme of improvements. In the MTFP this was funded by the Summer Lottery but it is anticipated that this will not be enough and funding is required in 2014 and 2015 so that works can commence.
Resource Implications: The ESC revenue head of expenditure will increase by £315,000 in 2014 and 2015 with Central Contingency (one-off) decreasing by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for 2014 or 2015.
Action required: The Minister for ESC to seek approval from the Minister for T&R in accordance with Financial Direction 4.3 – Contingency Allocations to heads of expenditure, for the above described budget transfer.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Education, Sport and Culture
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Budget transfer from Central Contingency Funding to Education, Sport and Culture: Jersey Heritage Trust: Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund

Education, Sport and Culture

Ministerial Decision Report

Central Contingency Funding allocation to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT)

Purpose of Report

To enable the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) to request that the Minister for Treasury and Resources (T&R) approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to ESC revenue head of expenditure of £315,000 in 2014 and 2015 to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT).

Background

The need for additional funding for Jersey Heritage Trust was identified in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General and also by consultants engaged by the Economic Development Department. Funding of £465,000 per year is required for the Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund, of which ESC only has funds of £150,000 representing an annual shortfall of £315,000.

In the MTFP 2013-2015 new bids for growth, bid 39 stated that the Channel Islands Lottery was unlikely to meet its targets and therefore in 2012 the £315,000 was added to the ESC budget as a “one off” pending lottery funding. Indications that this fund could be supported by the Summer Lottery proceeds have not been fulfilled and whilst JHT is exploring an alternative source with the Treasury, no additional funding is currently available.

Recommendation

The Minister for ESC is recommended to request that the Minister for T&R approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to the ESC revenue head of expenditure of £315,000 in 2014 and 2015 to cover the shortfall in Annual Refreshment and Refurbishment Fund for Jersey Heritage Trust (JHT), funding for which was agreed by the Council of Ministers in comments to P.75/2010.

Reasons for Decision

Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for T&R is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure to heads of expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.

JHT is required to set out a rolling programme of improvements to sites or projects to encourage access to those sites, the purpose of which is to ensure they continue to attract the public, whether residents or visitors, in order to sustain the business of the Trust. The specific uses to which the Refreshment and Annual Refurbishment Fund is put each year is set out in an annual application to the ESC Minister and included in the JHT Business Plan.

Resource Implications

The ESC revenue head of expenditure will increase by £315,000 in 2014 and 2015 with Central Contingency (one-off) decreasing by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for 2014 or 2015.

Report author: Finance Manager	Document date : 15 May 2014
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