WEST OF SCOTLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE JOINT COMMITTEE'SMINUTES.
Glasgow, 14th March 2017.
West of Scotland Archaeology Service Joint Committee.

Present:

Lawrence Fitzpatrick(Convener)
Alistair Watson
Mary Kilpatrick
Eileen Logan

West Lothian Council

Apologies:

Stephanie Primrose
John Bell
Stewart Miller
John Bruce

East Ayrshire Council
East Ayrshire Council
East Renfrewshire Council
North Ayrshire Council

Also present:

Hugh McBrien

West of Scotland Archaeology
ServiceSouth Ayrshire Council
South Lanarkshire Council
West Dunbartonshire Council
Glasgow City Council

Neil Feggans
Gwen McCracken
Antony McGuiness
Maureen Hughes (Clerk)

Glasgow City Council
South Ayrshire Council
South Lanarkshire Council

Minutes approved.
1
The minutes of the Joint Committee of 22nd September 2016 were submittedand approved.

Annual review of Reserves Policy approved.
2With reference to the minutes of 17th March 2017 approving the adoption of aReserves Policy and that it should be subject to annual review, there was submitted
a report by the Manager of the West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS)
advising that,(1)

the adopted Reserves Policy for the WoSAS was closely linked to the ServiceFinancial programme;(2)

the required annual review of the level of financial reserves appropriate to theneeds of the Service had been undertaken by the Manager of the Service in
consultation with a Principal Finance Officer in Glasgow City Council
representing the host authority;(3)

the financial reserves of the Service at the end of the 2015/16 financial year
were £100,013 and the level of reserves predicted for the current financial

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year was estimated at £88,814, however, budgetary monitoring in the financial
year to date indicated that the operating deficit would be lower than predicted,
allowing a revised level of reserves estimate of approximately £95,000 at theend of the 2016-17 year;(4)

reviewing the budgetary projections, likely financial risks and liabilities, andthe prevailing economic climate, it was determined that an appropriate
financial reserve should be able to address the financial costs of any
foreseeable “worst case scenario” that might affect the Service;(5)

the review indicated that in order to reimburse the host authority for the costsof any transitional arrangements should the Service be dissolved, anappropriate level of reserve for the Service would be a sum equivalent to six
months’ salaries and on-costs for the current staff of the Service and thattaking account of the proposed financial projections for the 2017/18 financial
year, a reserve level of £77,000 was proposed; and(6)if the retention of the proposed level of financial reserves was approved, and if
the budget proposed for financial year 2017/18 was agreed, then thecombined financial projections would indicate that no remedial action within
the terms of the WoSAS Reserves Policy would be required in the next
financial year.

After consideration, the Joint Committee(a)noted the report;(b)approved the retention of the level of financial reserve proposed for 2017/18
in accordance with the WoSAS Reserves Policy.

Service Financial Programme 2017/18 – Proposed budget 2017/18 approved –Authority to officers agreed.
3
With reference to the minutes of 17th March 2017 authorising the Officer
Steering Group to review service delivery and funding options and bring forwardsustainable proposals for the Service, there was submitted a report by the Managerof the West of Scotland Archaeology Service regarding the projected income andoperating costs of the Service for the period 2017/18(1)

detailing the current financial position of the service; and(2)advising that(a)the Officer Steering Group had continued discussions on the review of
the current service provision and delivery options, but had yet to
finalise proposals for the Committee’s consideration and that until apreferred service delivery option could be proposed, it was consideredinappropriate to update the previously approved future financial
projections beyond the next financial year and consequently, a budget

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for financial year 2017/18 was proposed for the Committee’sconsideration;(b)

the proposed budget for the financial year 2017/18 detailed in theAnnex to the report predicted a budget deficit of £7,612, to be met fromthe Service’s retained financial reserves, the level of reserves predictedin the revised budget for the 2016/17 financial year had been estimatedat £88,814 and budgetary monitoring for the financial year to dateindicated that a lower than predicted operating deficit would result in arevised level of reserves now estimated at approximately £95,000 at
the end of the 2016/17 year; and(c)the proposed budget for the financial year 2017/18, including thepredicted deficit, would leave the Service’s financial reserves atfinancial year end at an estimated level representing 113% of the figure
proposed as an appropriate financial reserve in this year’s Annual
Review of the WoSAS Reserves Policy and that a review of financial
performance over recent years suggested that the proposed deficit
funding of the Service for the next financial year was acceptable as ashort-term measure, but would continue to require careful monitoring
until the review of the current service provision and delivery options
had been completed.

After consideration, the Joint Committee(i)noted the report;(ii)

agreed the budget proposed for 2017/18 as shown on the financialprogramme; and(iii)

authorised the Officer Steering Group to continue to review service delivery
and funding options and to bring forward sustainable long term proposals forthe Service.

West of Scotland Archaeology Service – Audit Plan 2016/17 approved etc.
4There was submitted a report by Audit Scotland regarding the 2016/17 auditof the financial statements of the West of Scotland Archaeology Service.
After consideration, the Joint Committee(1)

noted details in relation to risks and planned work and the audit scope andtiming; and(2)accepted the Audit Plan and the financial statements audit timetable asdetailed in the report.

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