Capital Investment Programme
Each financial year the Authority produces a capital programme to manage major schemes. Owing to the nature of capital expenditure a large number of schemes span more than one financial year so the programme is a rolling programme covering five financial years. The Authority’s five-year capital investment programme 2010/2011 to 2014/2015
totals £36.774m it includes:
- Spending on vehicles and operational equipment remains paramount to ensure Merseyside’s Firefighters continue to work with high quality well-maintained equipment.
- Investment in Buildings and Infrastructure to ensure Health and Safety Standards and Environmental issues are maintained.
- Investment in Information Technology (IT)
2010 - 2015 Proposed Capital Investment
Most of the capital programme is funded by borrowing and is in line with the Authority’s
approve prudential borrowing limits and treasury management strategy.
Reserves and Balances
The Authority is forecasting having the following reserves and balances in 2010/11
Reserves
|
31.03.2010 |
Movement in the year |
31.03.2011 |
|
|
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
SPATE /Other Emergencies
|
|
|
|
|
Bellwin Reserve |
147 |
|
147 |
|
Insurance Reserve |
220 |
|
220 |
|
Emergency Planning Reserve |
75 |
|
75 |
|
Modernisation Challenge
|
|
|
|
|
Modernisation Reserve |
581 |
|
581 |
|
Smoothing Reserve |
2,391 |
-134 |
2,257 |
|
Capital Investment |
|
|
|
|
PFI GAP Reserve |
695 |
|
695 |
|
Specific Projects |
|
|
|
|
Regional Reserve |
100 |
|
100 |
|
Training Reserve |
195 |
|
195 |
|
Inflation
|
|
|
|
|
Inflation Reserve |
858 |
|
858 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Earmarked Reserves |
5,262 |
-134 |
5,128 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
General Revenue Reserve |
2,543 |
|
2,543 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Reserves |
7,805 |
-134 |
7,671 |
To protect and safeguard the Authority from unforeseen changes in circumstances,
demands or assumptions made in setting the budget the Authority has established
general fund and specific earmarked reserves.
However reserves and balances can only
be used to finance one-off expenditure. They are not able to fund ongoing revenue
expenditure. This is underlined by the District Auditor’s ‘Golden Rule’ - that “one
off” revenue reserves should not be used to support ‘ongoing’ revenue expenditure.
|