The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to consider two key issues: the budget context for 2025/26 and the Committee's work programme. The meeting also considered the minutes from the previous meeting, on 10 October 2024.

Budget Context 2025/26

The report on the 2025/26 budget context¹ was provided by Kevin Kilburn, Assistant Director of Strategic Finance. The report described the national and local financial context in which Ealing Council would make its budget. This included consideration of the Autumn Statement² by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Local Government Financial Settlement Policy Statement³. It explained that:

Across the country, council finances are in an extremely challenging position.

It went on to describe the increasing difficulty councils are having balancing their budgets, and the various forms of financial intervention by central government that have been necessary to support struggling local authorities.

The report highlighted the financial pressures the council faces from Adult and Children's Social Care, and Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation. The report went on to describe the likely funding allocations from central government for the 2025/26 financial year, and set out the very difficult decisions the council will have to make during the 2025/26 budget setting process.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme⁴ was presented by Sam Bailey, Head of Democratic Services. The report outlined the topics the Committee was scheduled to discuss during 2025. It confirmed that a number of topics had been added since the previous meeting, including a review of the Broadway Living business plan.

The report explained that the planned topic on complaints had been removed from the work programme at the request of the council, who:

...are reviewing the way they collate and report their data, in line with new requirements from the social housing regulator.

It confirmed that a report on complaints would be brought to the committee once these changes have been implemented.