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A decision made (25/01/2007) regarding: Chief Minister’s Department – request for Information Services 2007 £2.843m Budget transfer from Capital to Revenue.

Subject:	Chief Minister’s Department – request for Information Services 2007 £2.843m Budget transfer from Capital to Revenue.
Decision Reference:	MD-TR-2007-0004	Exempt clause(s):		N/A
Type of Report (oral or written):	written	Person Giving Report (if oral):		N/A
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	N/A	Report File ref:		CMD/JPD 3
Written Report – Title:	Support for CMD/JP3 Ministerial Decision	Written report – Author:		James Dixon – Finance Director, Corporate Group
Decision(s): The Minister approved the transfer of £2,843,000 budget from capital to revenue within Chief Minister’s Department – Information Services (CMD-IS), to cover overspends created as a result of a change in accounting treatment. The funding is available within CMD-IS Capital, however, the year end accounts will show that the CMD-IS will be this amount over the original budget – the narrative to the accounts will explain the basis for this apparent overspend.
Reason(s) for decision: Expenditure that was previously recorded within capital has been transferred to revenue as a result of a change in accounting treatment. The budget transfer requested is required to match the additional expenditure now recorded within CMD-IS revenue – which is currently showing an overspend of £2.843m. The funding is available within CMD-IS Capital.
Action required: Treasury Minister to approve the 2007 £2.843m budget transfer from Capital to Revenue for Chief Ministers Information Services Department and officers to take the necessary action to enact the decision.
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)			Date of Decision: 25th January 2007

Chief Minister’s Department – request for Information Services 2007 £2.843m Budget transfer from Capital to Revenue.

Date: 24 January 2007

Support for CMD/JP3 Ministerial Decision – CMD-IS Capital/Revenue budget transfer

Purpose of the report

To approve the transfer of £2,843,000 budget from ISD capital to ISD revenue within Chief Minister’s Department, to cover overspends created as a result of a change in accounting treatment.

Background

It has been acknowledged by Treasury that for several years CMD-IS was drawing on capital funding to finance revenue expenditure. In 2006 it was decided to rectify this situation, and a review of CMD-IS capital expenditure was performed. It identified several categories of revenue expenditure that had been incorrectly treated as capital expenditure. This expenditure has been transferred to revenue, and a matching budget transfer is now required.

The main categories of expenditure are as follows:

Transfer from Capital required		2007
Network line rental		£800,000
Hardware		£467,000
Staff Costs		£391,000
Reduction in staff recharge to capital projects		£134,400
Consultants fees		£311,000
Long term contractors providing IT project management support		£256,000
Software licences		£55,000
Network revenue savings		£198,000
2006 VOIP savings		£124,000
VOIP charges		£61,000
GIS funding		£60,000
Other (net)		(£14,400)

Total		£2,843,000

CMD-IS has adequate capital budget provision to fund this transfer.

The effect of the transfer would be to increase the Chief Minister’s 2007 Cash Limit from £14,403,400 to £17,246,400 an increase of 19.7%.

The CMD-IS base revenue cash limit needs to be increased on a permanent basis to reflect the change in accounting treatment. The first opportunity to do this will be in the 2008 Business Plan; therefore a transfer from capital to revenue will also be required for 2007 in due course.

reCOMMENDATIONS

To approve the transfer of £2,843,000 budget from capital to revenue within Chief Minister’s Department – Information Services (CMD-IS), to cover overspends created as a result of a change in accounting treatment.