Birmingham Improvement Panel praises financial management progress
0Birmingham City Council has improved its financial management but the forthcoming Commonwealth Games remains a serious potential risk, according to the final report of an improvement panel appointed by government.
The panel said that the council has, over the past year, improved its financial analysis and capital and revenue budget monitoring.
It said that changes to the council’s finance teams and arrangements resulted in improved financial reporting for most months of 2018/19.
However, it said that although the council has active risk management and programme management arrangements in place for the Games, “the extent of these risks is significant”.
It added: “The potential for escalation of costs is a serious risk.”
This week, Room151 takes a look at the funding for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and asks whether a mooted airport tax could help the council pay for costs.
