Budget Transfer: Contingency to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for Housing Development Board

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A decision made on 18 April 2019

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2019-0041
Decision Summary Title:	Allocation from Contingency to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for Housing Policy Development Board		Date of Decision Summary:	17th April 2019
Decision Summary Author:	Financial Performance Reporting Manager		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Allocations from Contingency to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for Housing Policy Development Board		Date of Written Report:	17th April 2019
Written Report Author:	Financial Performance Reporting Manager		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The allocation of £122,780 in 2019 from Central Contingencies to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population as detailed in the attached report for the Strategic Advisor to the Housing Policy Development Board.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the allocation of £122,780 in 2019 from Central Contingencies to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for the Strategic Advisor to the Housing Policy Development Board as detailed in the attached report.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure or the insurance fund of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year. The current Contingency Allocation Policy (published as R.38/2019) sets the requirement for all allocations from contingency to be considered by the Investment Appraisal Board, Principal Accountable Officer and States Treasurer prior to submission to the Minister for approval. For requests over £100,000, the Minister of Treasury & Resources will provide the One Government Political Oversight Group (OneGovPOG) with a schedule of all funding decisions she is minded to make before making a final decision, seeking that Group’s comments. If the Minister is minded to approve a funding allocation, the draft Ministerial Decision will be circulated to the Council of Ministers five working days before a Ministerial Decision is signed and published. The Board, Principal Accountable Officer and States Treasurer have recommended these requests for approval. OneGovPOG and the Council of Ministers have also been consulted.
Resource Implications: The revenue head of expenditure of the Strategic Policy, Performance and Population Department to increase by £122,780 in 2019 and Central Contingencies to decrease by the same amount. Any unspent amounts from 2019 will not be available to be drawn down in 2020. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Medium Term Financial Plan 2016 to 2019.
Action required: The Head of Decision Support to advise the Finance Director of Strategic Policy, Performance and Population that this decision is approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy Susie Pinel Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Budget Transfer: Contingency to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for Housing Policy Development Board

Treasury and Exchequer

Ministerial Decision Report

Allocations from Contingency to Strategic Policy, Performance and Population for Housing Policy Development Board

Purpose of Report

To enable the Minister to approve the allocation of up to £122,780 in 2019 from Central Contingencies to the Strategic Policy, Performance and Population Department.

Background

An Investment Appraisal Board (IAB) has been established to review all funding requests and support the development of best practice in project development and evaluation, enabling better prioritisation and value for money across the Government. This is an important step in the development of a new investment framework across the Government underpinned by leading best practice.

All funding requests require a business case which has been designed using principles of HM Treasury’s Five Case Model to ensure that a proportional and risk-focused approach can be applied across the Government. A single business case template now replaces several funding application routes that previously existed across the Government, providing a simpler, more efficient and more transparent approach.

The IAB is not a decision-making body. It considers evidence to support a funding request and makes a recommendation for funding to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and States Treasurer before the Minister for Treasury and Resources makes a funding decision and approval. Recommendations for funding are also circulated to the One Gov Officer and Political Board in advance of approval by the Minister for Treasury and Resources.

Based upon the evaluation of business case reference IAB-2019-006 and responses to further questions, the IAB recommends funding of up to £122,780 in 2019 for the Strategic Advisor to the Housing Policy Development Board. Funding will be made available from Unallocated Reserves (Contingency).

Funding is available for this decision based on the assumption that (a) 2018 departmental underspends and unallocated contingencies are transferred into general contingencies and (b) there is a planned allocation into Contingency at the start of 2019 (as set out in the MTFP).

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve the allocation of up to £122,780 in 2019 from Central Contingencies as detailed above.

Reasons for Decision

Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure or the insurance fund of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.

The current Contingency Allocation Policy (published as R.38/2019) sets the requirement for all allocations from contingency to be considered by the Investment Appraisal Board, Principal Accountable Officer and States Treasurer prior to submission to the Minister for approval.

For requests over £100,000, the Minister of Treasury & Resources will provide the One Government Political Oversight Group (OneGovPOG) with a schedule of all funding decisions she is minded to make before making a final decision, seeking that Group’s comments.

If the Minister is minded to approve a funding allocation, the draft Ministerial Decision will be circulated to the Council of Ministers five working days before a Ministerial Decision is signed and published.

The Board, Principal Accountable Officer and States Treasurer have recommended these requests for approval. OneGovPOG and the Council of Ministers have also been consulted.

5. Resource Implications

The revenue head of expenditure of the Strategic Policy, Performance and Population Department to increase by a total of up to £122,780 in 2019 and Central Contingencies to decrease by the same amount. Any unspent amounts from 2019 will not be available to be drawn down in 2020. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Medium Term Financial Plan 2016 to 2019.

Report author : Financial Performance Reporting Manager	Document date : 17th April 2019
Quality Assurance / Review: Director of Financial Planning and Performance	File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DS, WR and SD\2019-0041 - Contingency funding to SPPP for Housing Policy Development Board
MD sponsor : Treasurer of the States