Reserve Funding Allocation: Covid-19: Devices for Home Learning: Primary and Secondary Students

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A decision made on 16 April 2021

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2021-0043
Decision Summary Title:	Reserve Funding to Covid-19 Response for devices for online home learning		Date of Decision Summary:	12th April 2021
Decision Summary Author:	Specialist – Business Cases		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title:	Reserve Funding to Covid-19 Response for devices for online home learning		Date of Written Report:	12th April 2021
Written Report Author:	Specialist – Business Cases		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The allocation of up to £190,000 in 2021 from the General Reserve (Covid) to the Covid-19 Response head of expenditure for devices for online home learning for Primary and Secondary students.
Decision(s): The Minister approved a non-recurring allocation from the General Reserve (Covid) in 2021 of up to £190,000 to the Covid-19 Response head of expenditure for devices for online home learning.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 15(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 states that the approval by the States of a Government Plan authorises the Minister to direct how an approved appropriation for a reserve head of expenditure in the plan may be spent (including on another head of expenditure) in the first financial year covered by the plan. The current Policy for Allocations from the Reserve agreed by the Minister for Treasury and Resources on Friday 1st April 2021 sets the requirement that all proposed allocations from the General Reserve (Covid-19) once recommended for approval by the Treasurer of the States, taking into account comments from the Principal Accountable Officer (PAO), are referred for information to either the Council of Ministers (CoM) or the relevant Competent Authorities Ministers (CAM) prior to submission to the Minister for approval. The Investment Appraisal Team has reviewed and recommended this request for approval and, following this review, the Treasurer, having consulted with the PAO, CAM and CoM, recommends this allocation to the Minister. Under delegation from the Principal Accountable Officer the Treasurer appoints the Director General of Children, Young People, Education and Skills as the Accountable Officer for this expenditure allocation. The purchase of devices is necessary due to the impact of the pandemic and the increased likelihood that there will be periods of time where online home learning is necessitated by isolation and/or shielding requirements; and because all pupils are undertaking catch-up activities both at school and at home occasioned by the disruption to their learning and development as a result of the pandemic. This funding will provide up to: 400 tablets for primary school students, 720 laptops for Year 6 and secondary school students along with fifty 4G dongles available for use with the laptops.
Resource Implications: The Covid-19 Response head of expenditure to increase by £190,000 and the General Reserve (Covid) to decrease by an equivalent amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Government Plan 2021-2024.
Action required: The Head of Financial Governance to advise the Specialist - Business Cases and the Head of Finance Business Partnering of CYPES that this decision is approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy S J Pinel Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Covid-19 Response for devices for online home working: Reserve Funding

Treasury and Exchequer

Ministerial Decision Report

Reserve Funding to Covid-19 Response for devices for online home learning

Purpose of Report

To enable the Minister to approve the allocation of up to £190,000 in 2021 from the General Reserve (Covid) to the Covid-19 Response head of expenditure for devices for online home learning for Primary and Secondary students.

Background

Provisions were made in the Government Plan 2021-24 in the General Reserve for funding needs that cannot be met from existing heads of expenditure in 2021.

Research undertaken by the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills has identified a shortfall in the number of devices required to support appropriately statutory aged pupils in their online learning needs. This shortfall is made more acute by the impact of the pandemic and the increased likelihood that there will be periods of time where online home learning is necessitated by isolation and/or shielding requirements; and because all pupils are undertaking catch-up activities both at school and home occasioned by the disruption to their learning and development as a result of the pandemic.

Philanthropic donations have been secured to the value of £125,000 and Education IT and Schools Improvement resources have been reviewed and re-prioritised to release £65,000 from the CYPES Head of Expenditure. The business case received is for the balance of the funding amounting to up to £190,000 in 2021 which will enable the required devices to be purchased.

Following previous discussions requesting full funding for the purchases, the Chief Minister, Assistant Chief Minister and Minister for Education agreed to fund the project in a different way, and this is the final proposal of partial donations and partial General Reserve allocation.

This funding will provide up to: 400 tablets for primary school students, 720 laptops for Year 6 and secondary school students along with fifty 4G dongles available for use with the laptops.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve the allocation of up to £190,000 in 2021 from the General Reserve (Covid) to the Covid-19 Response head of expenditure to enable CYPES to purchase devices for online home learning.

Reason for Decision

Article 15(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 states that the approval by the States of a Government Plan authorises the Minister to direct how an approved appropriation for a reserve head of expenditure in the plan may be spent (including on another head of expenditure) in the first financial year covered by the plan.

The current Policy for Allocations from the Reserve agreed by the Minister for Treasury and Resources on Friday 1st April 2021 sets the requirement that all proposed allocations from the General Reserve (Covid-19) once recommended for approval by the Treasurer of the States, taking into account comments from the Principal Accountable Officer (PAO), are referred for information to either the Council of Ministers (CoM) or the relevant Competent Authorities Ministers (CAM) prior to submission to the Minister for approval.

The Investment Appraisal Team has reviewed and recommended this request for approval and, following this review, the Treasurer, having consulted with the PAO, CAM and CoM, recommends this allocation to the Minister.

Under delegation from the Principal Accountable Officer the Treasurer appoints the Director General of Children, Young People, Education and Skills as the Accountable Officer for this expenditure allocation.

The purchase of devices is necessary due to the impact of the pandemic and the increased likelihood that there will be periods of time where online home learning is necessitated by isolation and/or shielding requirements; and because all pupils are undertaking catch-up activities both at school and at home occasioned by the disruption to their learning and development as a result of the pandemic. This funding will provide up to: 400 tablets for primary school students, 720 laptops for Year 6 and secondary school students along with fifty 4G dongles available for use with the laptops.

Resource Implications

The Covid-19 Response head of expenditure to increase by £190,000 and the General Reserve (Covid) to decrease by an equivalent amount.

This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Government Plan 2021-2024

Report author: Specialist – Business Cases	Document date: 7th April 2021
Quality Assurance / Review: Group Director, Strategic Finance and Head of Financial Governance	File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DS, WR and SD\2021-0043 - Reserve funding for devices for online home learning
MD sponsor : Treasurer of the States