Agenda item

Report of Head of Democratic Services

The Panel received the report of the Head of Democratic Services to update Members regarding the Panel’s Work Programme.

It was reported that at its meeting on 27^th July 2010, Cabinet had requested that Budget and Performance Panel include a review of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) responsive repairs overspending within its Work Programme for 2010/11 (Minute 30 (5) 2010/11 refers). 

Members noted recent changes that had taken place following restructuring and were minded to request that the item form part of the agenda for the Panel’s meeting on
30^th November 2010 to enable submission of a progress report., following which,  Members would consider whether to make any further provision in the Panel’s Work Programme.

Members noted the upcoming items in the Work Programme.  With regard to the report of the Chair of the Children and Young People Thematic Group on the work undertaken by the Thematic Group in 2009/10 regarding delivering the targets in the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Head of Community Engagement reported changes to the chairmanship of the Children and Young People Thematic Group and new arrangements that would be put in place once matters regarding the Children’s Trusts, which were the local partnerships which brought together the organisations responsible for services to children and young people, including development of an overall strategy to delivery of front-line services, were clarified.

With regard to production of a standard end of year report format for use by the LDLSP Thematic Groups through liaison between the Budget and Performance Panel and the LDLSP Management Group, Members were advised that the LDLSP Manager was drawing up a standard template for the year-end report for use by the Thematic Groups with a view to presenting a report to the Panel once complete.

It was noted that a report on progress in respect of staff travel for non-council travel and in regard to Cabinet being requested to consider a workplace travel plan using the specifications contained in BSI PAS500:2003 and the definition of the Department of Transport, including identification of the budgetary implications of undertaking this work, would be presented to the Panel’s meeting on 30^th November 2010.

Members were advised that, following resolution by the Panel that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be requested to establish a Task Group to investigate the feasibility of using land in public ownership for the provision of additional affordable housing and to establish initiatives with Housing Associations and Partners to provide affordable housing (Minute No. 5 (2) 2010/11 refers), the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Panel had met with officers from Regeneration and Policy and Democratic Services for preliminary discussions, and scoping work was being undertaken, with a view to a draft document being available at the October meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

With regard to the briefing note on Pension Liabilities requested at the Panel’s meeting on 13^th July 2010 (Minute No. (2) (c) 2010/11 refers), which had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting, the Panel requested that this be included as an item on the Agenda for the meeting of the Panel on the 19^th October 2010.

Resolved:

(1)        That a report on the review of the HRA responsive repairs overspending be presented to the Panel’s meeting on 30^th November 2010 to enable Members to decide whether to make any further provision in the Panel’s Work Programme.

(2)        That a report on the Children and Young People Thematic Group be presented to the Panel once the chairmanship of the Group and matters concerning the Children’s Trusts are determined.

(3)        That a report on the drawing up of a standard template for the year-end report for use by the LDLSP Thematic Groups be presented to the meeting of the Panel on 30^th November 2010.

(4)        That a report on progress in respect of staff travel for non-council travel and in regard to Cabinet being requested to consider a workplace travel plan using the specifications contained in BSI PAS500 2003 and the definition of the Department of Transport, including identification of the budgetary implications of undertaking this work, be presented to the Panel’s meeting on 30^th November 2010.

(5)        That the Panel receive updates on the work of the Affordable Housing Task Group.

(6)        That Pension Liabilities be included on the Agenda for the meeting of the Panel on 19^th October 2010.