Apologies were received from Councillor Ross Garrod, and from Councillor Jonathan Cook (LB Wandsworth).

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2016 are agreed as an accurate record.

At the suggestion of the chair, the agenda items were moved to take them in the following order: 7, 5, 4.

To RESOLVE that the public are excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following report(s) on the grounds that it is (they are) exempt from disclosure for the reasons stated in the report(s).

RESOLVED: That the public are excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following report on the grounds that it is exempt from disclosure for the reasons stated in the report.

The Head of Public Protection introduced Raj Patel, the Interim Project Manager appointed to oversee the possible inclusion of LB Wandsworth into the Regulatory Services Partnership (RSP). 

The Interim Project Manager outlined the four phases of the project, and advised that a Programme Board has been established and a business case is currently in development which should be completed by Christmas. 

The Interim Project Manager outlined the key challenges for the project, which include the development of a mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of costs and income among constituent authorities, and to ensure that staff involved are treated fairly and in accordance with relevant legislation. 

The Committee welcomed the possible inclusion of another borough into the RSP but noted that whilst all efforts to make budgetary savings should continue, the quality of the services provided, particularly those on the front line, must be maintained.

In response to questions about governance, the Head of Public Protection advised that both Merton and Richmond delegated the regulatory functions of the RSP to this committee, and the Interim Project Manager confirmed that he will meet with appropriate officers at LB Wandsworth in order to establish the approvals required, should they join the RSP. 

The Head of Public Protection undertook to circulate monthly bulletins to the Committee in order to keep them up on date on the project.

RESOLVED:  That the Joint Regulatory Service Committee notes the current negotiations between the Regulatory Services Partnership and the London Borough of Wandsworth.

The meeting resumed in public session.

The Head of Public Protection gave a short introduction to this item, advising that in order to meet the financial challenges faced by local authorities, the RSP must consider how it can generate income, and asked the Committee to give some guidance on which options should be pursued.

The Head of the Regulatory Service Partnership (RSP) presented this report in detail, outlining each option for income generation, and noting the benefits and challenges associated with each.  He emphasised that local authorities are not permitted to make a profit from charging for services, unless they establish a trading company, where profits could be reinvested in services.  He also noted that any commercial activity would be kept separate from enforcement. 

The Committee considered each of the options presented and asked a range of questions.  Following some discussion they asked that the Head of the RSP develop a business case on charging for the following services:

·         Licensing Pre-Application advice;

·         Business advice;

·         Environmental Consultancy;

·         Food Safety / Health and Safety.

The Head of the RSP undertook to work up a business case for the four services, to include costs and potential income, and to present it to the Committee on 7 February 2017.

With regard to the imposition of a single charging mechanism across the RSP, the Head of the RSP advised that there has been some progress, but further work on developing a mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of costs and income among constituent authorities forms part of the project underway to consider the admission of LB Wandsworth to the Partnership. 

RESOLVED:  That the Joint Regulatory Service Committee notes the report.

The Head of Public Protection gave a brief introduction to this item, noting that the branding of the Partnership will become increasingly important as the services expand.  The Head of the Regulatory Service Partnership presented the report in detail.

After some discussion on the various options presented, the Committee welcomed the introduction of a logo, and agreed that their preferred logo was Option 1.

RESOLVED:  That members note the proposal to create a Regulatory Services Partnership logo.