The minutes of all committees which have met since 12 November, 2021 up until 24 February, 2022 are attached, as below.

Members’ attention is drawn to an urgent officer decision which has been taken, and is reported to the Council in accordance with Part 4, Section 4, paragraph 9 of the Constitution. This decision was published on 10 March, 2022, having been taken by the Director of Resources in respect of Casualty (Liability) and Professional Indemnity Insurances Contract Award (decision notice and report attached at pages 71 – 77). The decision being urgent due to new contract arrangements being required for 1^st April, 2022 implementation.

Minutes of Committees 

·  Policy and Resources Committee – 30 November, 1 December, 2021, 17 January and 15 February, 2022 (Pages 79 – 118)

·  Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee – 16 November, 2021 and 25 January, 2022 (Pages 119 - 129)

·  Children, Young People and Education Committee – 23 November, 2021 and 31 January, 2022 (Pages 131 - 143)

·  Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee – 22 November, 2021 and 26 January, 2022 (Pages 145 - 165)

·  Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee – 15 November, 2021 and 20 January, 2022 (Pages 167 - 184)

·  Housing Committee – 18 November, 2021 and 27 January, 2022

(Pages 185 - 197)

·  Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee – 17 November, 2021 and 18 January, 2022 (Pages 199 - 216)

·  Audit and Risk Management Committee – 30 November, 2021 and 24 January, 2022 (Pages 217 - 225)

·  Constitution and Standards Committee – 14 December, 2021 and 17 February, 2022 (Pages 227 - 237)

·  Health and Wellbeing Board – 15 December, 2021 and 9 February, 2022 (to follow) (Pages 239 - 244)

·  Licensing Act Committee -  24 November, 2021 (Pages 245 - 247)

·  Partnerships Committee – 2 February  2022 (Pages 249 - 250)

·  Pensions Committee – 29 November, 2021 and 23 February, 2022

(Pages 251 - 264)

·  Planning Committee – 16 December, 2021 and 10 February, 2022

(Pages 265 - 273)

·  Regulatory and General Purposes Committee – 20 January, 2022

(Pages 275 - 279)

The Civic Mayor introduced the minutes of the various Committees which had met from 12 November, 2021 up until 24 February, 2022. He drew Members’ attention to an urgent officer decision which had been taken and which was reported to the Council in accordance with Part 4, Section 4, paragraph 9 of the Constitution.

The decision was published on 10 March, 2022, having been taken by the Director of Resources in respect of Casualty (Liability) and Professional Indemnity Insurances Contract Award and was urgent due to new contract arrangements being required for 1st April, 2022 implementation.

The Civic Mayor then asked for questions to Committee Chairs on any of the minutes being received.

Councillor Jo Bird asked a question of Councillor Pat Cleary in respect of minute 47 of the Pensions Committee of 23 February, 2022 regarding responsible investment and human rights. Councillor Pat Cleary responded that Merseyside Pension Fund (MPF) was actively working to address its exposure to investment linked to Russia and to fully comply with UK sanctions. However with the Russian stock market closed and additionally foreign investors had been banned from selling by the Russian authorities, one of just several complicating factors. The implications of sanctions which the MPF needed to understand as they precluded most financial transactions with Russian entities. A further strategic consideration was who would be the buyers of the Fund’s divestments with asset values severely depressed the Fund could be gifting assets to unfriendly counterparts and indirectly enriching them. Morally the view of the Fund, which he supported, was that divestment was the right thing to do but the timing of any action needed due consideration. The Fund was liaising closely with the National Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association along with other Local Government Pension Funds to coordinate responses as effectively as possible. The MPF had less than 0.25% of its value in Russian assets so the direct impact of selling holdings would not be material. He also commented that the situation in Ukraine was still evolving but doubtless the MPF’s Responsible Investment Policy would apply to the situation in Ukraine as it did in other occupied territories and conflict zones. The actual response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did practically reinforce the need to take ethical considerations into account in the Fund’s investments decisions as detailed in the Investment Strategy Statement which detailed the MPF’s approach to responsible investment.