Meeting documents
Finance and Best Value Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Monday, 19th February 2007
Present
Chair
DM Elderton
Councillors
FM Doyle, AER Jones, ED Prout, Jean Quinn, WW Smith, Mrs K Wood
In attendance:
PL Davies, JE Green, D Hawkins, Mrs CM Meaden, Mrs LA Rennie
Apologies
CM Teggin
Index to Minutes
Minute 68 - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Minute Text :
Members were asked to consider whether they had personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.
Councillor Kate Wood declared a personal interest in minute 69 (Scrutiny: Proposed Budget Saving) as a user of the Council taxi service as no alternative means of transport was available.
Councillor Jeff Green declared a personal interest in minute 69 (Scrutiny: Proposed Budget Saving) as an occasional user of the Council taxi service.
Minute 69 - SCRUTINY: PROPOSED BUDGET SAVING
Minute Text :
On 24 January the Cabinet recommended a number of budget savings, which were set out in minute 225. Within the recommendation was a request for the Council to approve those items where there was all-party support, and, where there was no such agreement on a particular item, the Council was asked to refer that item to the appropriate overview and scrutiny committee for discussion and subsequent referral to the budget meeting of the Cabinet. Two objections were subsequently lodged, affecting a number of the proposals, and the fact that they were lodged meant that there was no unanimous agreement to those parts of the minute, with the result that, in accordance with Paragraph 2(b) of the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, they were now referred to the relevant committee.
A copy of the whole of minute 225 was circulated together with the two objections. Only those items that were highlighted in the minute required consideration. The Committee was requested to look at the following savings proposal(s):
£50,000 saving - reducing the cost of democracy by:
(i) returning to six Overview and Scrutiny Committees and eight Area Forums (matching the police beats as before);
(ii) limiting train travel to a maximum cost of no more than the standard second class ticket;
(iii) monitoring taxi use to ensure essential use only;
(iv) limiting attendance at conferences, with first preference to portfolio holders and scrutiny committee Chairs and bookings for guaranteed attendance only.
The Committee was asked to note the fact that the Council, in respect of a separate objection, voted to reject the proposal to alter the number of scrutiny committees and area forums.
The Committee sought clarification on the matters under scrutiny and it was noted that the proposal to alter the number of scrutiny committees and area forums had been rejected by the Council.
Councillor Walter Smith supported the proposals under scrutiny.
Councillor Frank Doyle referred to the use of senior citizens railcards by Members, where approriate and the popssible use of an angency to arrange train tickets.
Councillor Jean Quinn felt that a better protocol needed to be drawn up in terms of which members attended which conferences and which conferences were useful to attend. She felt the decision of attendance should rest with the relevent Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Deputy Chief Executive / Director of Corporate Services clarified that there was generally one approved conference for each area of the Council's activity for which attendance was discussed with the relevant Cabinet Member, Chair and spokespersons. For one-off conferences, some justification would be required as to the usefulness of attendance.
Councillor Lesley Rennie felt there should be a clarified method of reporting back from conferences that Members had attended and Councillor Adrian Jones agreed, but that this should be across the Council rather than confined to Party Groups.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That
(1) in view of the absence of any alternative or realistic proposals, the difficult financial decisions facing the Council, and the need to keep Council Tax levels as low as possible, this Committee confirms the saving recommended by Cabinet as set out below:
- limiting train travel to a maximum cost of no more than the standard second class ticket;
- monitoring taxi use to ensure essential use only; and
- limiting attendance at conferences, with first preference to portfolio holders and scrutiny committee Chairs and bookings for guaranteed attendance only; and
(2) conference attendance criteria be reviewed to achieve best practice at minimal cost.
Footnote :
Councillors Kate Wood and Jeff Green declared a personal interest in this matter (minute 68 refers).
(Minutes Published: 20 February 2007)