Agenda and draft minutes

Nominations are invited for a Chair and Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.

Nominations were invited for the role of Chair and Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.

Resolved – That Councillor Rawlinson be appointed as Chair and Councillor Newman-Thompson be appointed Vice-Chair of the Shared Revenues and Benefits Service Joint Committee for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.

·         Fire Procedures / Mobile Phones / Rest Rooms

·         “Members of the Public, committee members and officers are reminded that under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, the press and Public may film, audio record, photograph and use social media whilst the meeting is in progress, for Part A items only, and as long as no disruption is caused to the meeting. Anyone filming is asked to focus their attention on elected members rather than other visitors”.(To be read out if visitors present).

The Chair welcomed new and established Members to the first meeting of the Joint Committee for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.

To receive any declarations of interests from Members.

There were none. 

There were none. 

To confirm the minutes of a meeting of this Joint Committee held on 18^th December 2014.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Shared Revenues and

Benefits Joint Committee held on 18 December 2014 be noted and signed

as a correct record.

Report enclosed.

The Director of Corporate Services (Preston City Council) submitted a report informing Members on the content of the Annual Governance Statement for 2014/15. The Annual Governance Statement was set out in Appendix A to the report together with a summary table documenting recent audit work undertaken in relation to the Shared Service, set out in Appendix B. 

Resolved – That the Joint Committee approves the Annual Governance Statement as set out in Appendix A to the report. 

Report enclosed.

The Section 151 Officer (Preston City Council) submitted a report on the preparation of the Revenues and Benefits Shared Services Statement of Accounts which provided a true and fair view of the financial position of the Shared Service at the accounting date and its income and expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2015. 

The Partnership prepared its statutory Annual Accounts and supporting financial statements in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and in line with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in United Kingdom 2014/15 (The Code). 

Resolved – That the Joint Committee approves the Unaudited Revenues and Benefits Statement of Accounts for 2014/15, as set out in Appendix A to the report.

To be discussed.

The next meeting of the Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee would be arranged at a later date. 

To consider passing the following resolution:

“That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following item(s) of business on the grounds that there is likely to be a disclosure of exempt information which is described in the paragraph(s) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 which is specified against the heading(s) to each item, and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.”  

Resolved - That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that there is likely to be a disclosure of exempt information which is described in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.

Report enclosed.

The Deputy Director (Customer Services) submitted a report on the formal shared service arrangement between Lancaster and Preston City Councils which was entered into with effect from 1 July 2011 to provide a Revenues and Benefits Service across both City Council areas. 

In line with the agreement a refreshed Business Plan for the three year period 2015 – 2018, incorporating the key performance indicators for the service together with ongoing projects and future challenges, was submitted for consideration. The Business Plan also contained a financial appraisal of the 2014/15 outturn position, and the budget requirement for 2015/16, approved at the previous meeting. 

Resolved - The Joint Committee approved the Business Plan for 2015.