Strategic Housing Unit (P.33/2013): Budget transfer to Chief Minister's Department

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A decision made 9 September 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-H-2013-0067
Decision Summary Title :	DS – Inter-departmental Budget Transfers		Date of Decision Summary:	4th September 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Finance Director		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title :	WR - Inter-departmental Budget Transfers		Date of Written Report:	4th September 2013
Written Report Author:	Finance Manager		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: The transfer of budgets between the Housing Department and the Chief Minster’s Department
Decision(s): The Minister approved the net budget transfer to the Chief Minister’s Department in 2013 of £131,880. The Minister approved the net budget transfer to the Chief Minister’s Department in 2014 and 2015 of £186,790. The Minister approved the transfer of 2 F.T.E. to the Chief Minister’s Department from 2013.
Reason(s) for Decision: P33/2013, approved by the States on the 16th May 2013 approved the establishment of the Strategic Housing Unit within the Chief Minister’s Department. The budget transfers to the Chief Minister’s department support the establishment and operation of that function and the transfer of responsibility for the Affordable Housing Gateway. In 2013 the States Employment Board implemented a pay award for civil servants. As the Housing Department had received 3 staff from the Chief Minister’s Department it is appropriate that the relevant budgets are accounted for within the administering department.
Resource Implications: Financial: 2013 – net decrease in cash limit of £131,880 2014 and 2015 – net decrease in cash limit of £186,790
Action required: Housing Finance Director to obtain the approval of the Chief Minster and Minister for Treasury and Resources and arrange for the transfers to take place.
Signature:		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Strategic Housing Unit (P.33/2013): Budget transfer to Chief Minister's Department

Date of report 4th September 2013

REPORT FOR THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING

Inter-Departmental Budget Transfers

Purpose

To consider budget transfers between the Housing Department and the Chief Minister’s Department in relation to:

The development of the Housing Strategy
Salary costs associated with the Housing Policy Officer
Salary costs associated the Affordable Housing Gateway Staff
Maintenance costs associated the Affordable Housing Gateway Management System
Regulatory Law – Legal Fees
1% consolidated and 1% non-consolidated pay award for the Customer Services Team.

Description	2013	2014	2015

Housing Strategy	40,000
Policy Post from June, 2013	46,500	79,700	79,700
Gateway Staff from September, 2013	34,800	104,300	104,300
Gateway System Maintenance	-	5,000	5,000
Regulatory Law - Legal Fees	15,000

CSC Pay Award	(4,420)	(2,210)	(2,210)

Total	131,880	186,790	186,790

Background

The development of the Housing Strategy

The Chief Minister’s Department will be commissioning consultancy input from Michael Jones and Christine Whitehead for the development of the Housing Strategy. The sum of £40,000 was bid as part of the Department’s carry forward of under spend from 2012 to pay for this service. As it will be commissioned by CMD the budget should be transferred to them.

Budget to transfer (2013 only): £40,000

Salary costs associated with the Housing Policy Officer

Housing policy will be set by the Social Housing Unit and will be supported by an officer within the Chief Minister’s Department. The Housing Department have agreed to provide the budget only (without headcount) for this role for 7 months of 2013 and ongoing from 2014.

Budget to transfer (2013 only): £46,500

Budget to transfer (2014 and 2015): £79,700

Salary costs associated with the Affordable Housing Gateway staff

The Affordable Housing Gateway was set up using resources within the Housing Department. Following the approval by the States of P33/2013, the responsibility of the Gateway moves to the Chief Minster’s Department, along with the team of officers. Thus the budget for the staff costs for the remainder of 2013 and the full annual budget for subsequent years should be transferred along with a headcount of 2.

Budget to transfer (2013 for 4 months only): £34,800

Budget to transfer (2014 and 2015): £104,300

Affordable Housing Gateway Management System

In 2013 the Housing Department will deliver and pay for a computerised management system which will manage applications made under the Affordable Housing Gateway. Responsibility for this system will transfer to the Chief Minister’s Department and an ongoing budget transfer of £5,000 p.a. has been agreed to cover ongoing maintenance costs.

Budget to transfer (2014 and 2015): £5,000

Regulatory Law – Legal Fees

The Social Housing (Jersey) Law 201- which will set out the regulations regarding social housing providers has been developed by the Housing Department. Following acceptance of an amendment to P33/2013 further work and consultation is required with providers to ensure that the proposed law adequately addresses concerns raised.

This work will be taken on by the Strategic Housing Unit and a budget transfer of £15,000 will allow for legal advice to be taken.

Budget to transfer (2013 only): £15,000

1% consolidated and 1% non-consolidated pay award for the Customer Services Team.

In 2012 the States Employment Board instigated a pay award for civil servants for 2013 of 1% non-consolidated and 1% consolidated of basic pay. The increase relating to the staff in the Housing Department’s Customer Services Team was allocated to the Chief Minister’s Department as that Department has had responsibility for the staff costs until their transfer to Housing in July 2012. This budget needs to be transferred to the Housing Department to cover the payments made by Housing in relation to the pay awards.

Budget to transfer (2013 only): £4,420

Budget to transfer (2014 and 2015): £2,120

Recommendation

That the Minister approves the budget transfers between the Housing Department and Chief Minister’s Department as detailed in this report.

Housing Department

Report Prepared By: -

Lindsay Wood

Finance Manager

……………………………… Date: 2013

Report Checked By: -

John Hamon

Finance Director

……..………………………. Date: 2013

Authorised By: -

Ian Gallichan

Chief Officer

………………………………. Date: 2013