Agenda item

Report of Chief Officer (Governance) and Chief Officer (Resources).

The Assistant Head Community Engagement (Partnerships) and the Financial Services Manager introduced a joint report to present the corporate performance and financial monitoring reports at Quarter 2 of the 2013/14 performance monitoring cycle.

The Leader of the Cabinet and the Cabinet member with responsibility for finance were also in attendance to answer questions.

The report and appendices, which had been presented to Cabinet on 5 November 2013, provided a summary of overall performance, across all services and portfolios, in relation to the Council’s Corporate Plan for Quarter 2 of the 2013/14 performance monitoring cycle.

Members discussed the report and appendices in detail.

Members asked questions regarding the amber indicator ‘Council Tax as a % of Council Tax due’. It was queried as to whether the option to pay council tax over 12 months was available to all council tax payers. It was confirmed by the Financial Services Manager that this was the case.

The panel asked questions regarding information provided relating to the performance of commercial buildings. Members were informed that this information would be contained within further performance monitoring information.It was advised that an exercise was currently underway to look at these assets, and that it was expected that a report would be presented to Cabinet for consideration in the near future.

A member of the panel indicated that he wished to discuss details contained within the exempt appendix. It was agreed unanimously:

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the exempt appendix contained within this item of business, on the grounds that it could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.

The press and public were excluded from the meeting at this point when it became necessary to refer to information in the exempt appendix.

The panel discussed the information contained within the exempt appendix and asked questions of officers accordingly.

The press and public were readmitted to the meeting at this point.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.