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Agenda and minutes

Overview and Scrutiny Commission - Thursday 30 January 2014 7.15 pm

Venue: Committee rooms D & E - Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden SM4 5DX. View directions

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of pecuniary interest - see note overleaf

Minutes:

None.

2.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Peter McCabe, who was substituted by Councillor John Dehaney. Apologies were also received from co-opted members Peter Connellan and Colin Powell.

3.

Minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2013 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Minutes:

The minutes were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.

 

As a matter arising, Councillor Diane Neil Mills requested further detail on housing benefit spend for each housing sector. Councillor Samantha George asked that this be included in Merton Priory Homes’ report to the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny panel meeting if it hasn’t been received before then. ACTION: Director of Corporate Services

 

4.

Business Plan Update 2014-18 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed to take agenda items 4, 5 and 6 together.

 

The Director of Corporate Services, Caroline Holland, outlined the content of the reports. She said that some information was still awaited on business rates and the pension fund valuation. It is expected that revised figures containing the most recent assumptions will be provided to Cabinet on 17 February. She drew attention to the uncertainties for 2016/17 and 2017/18 pending the next government’s comprehensive spending review and that this may pose further financial challenges for the council.

 

In response to questions, Caroline Holland provided further detail on the assumptions behind estimates for business rates and the relationship between inflation, interest rates and reserves and balances.

 

Corporate Services savings proposals (pages 30, 32-41)

The Commission discussed each of the Corporate Services savings proposals in turn. Points of clarification, comments made by the Commission and its decision on what to recommend to Cabinet on each is set out in the table below:

 

Business partners - amendment to previously agreed savings

Caroline Holland said that the 2014/15 saving had been moved to 2016/17 so that the business partners could continue to assist staff through organisational changes.

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this change to the savings proposal.

 

CS60 deletion of Assistant Director post

Caroline Holland explained the background to this proposal and explained that options were being kept open at present as to which post would be deleted, pending further detail on the direction of the customer contact programme.

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this saving, with the proviso that it should delete the post at the earliest opportunity when the post is no longer needed.

 

CS61 dividend income from CHAS 2013 Ltd

Caroline Holland said that CHAS accounts would be published and audited.

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this saving.

 

CS62 recharges to public health

The Interim Assistant Director of Resources, Paul Dale, said that there were contractual issues in relation to this item but that the saving would be taken earlier if possible.

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this saving and bring it forward to 2015/16 if possible.

 

CS63 business improvement

Caroline Holland said that the posts to be deleted in systems development will be identified once a restructure has been put in place. In response to a question about the risk assessment for this saving, Caroline Holland agreed that it should be changed from high to medium risk.

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this savings proposal and change the risk rating to “medium”.

 

CS64 reduction of treasury running costs

Paul Dale explained how these savings would be made by streamlining processes once the new financial management systems are in place

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept this saving and bring it forward if possible.

 

CS65 consolidation of budgets in resources division

CS66 review recharges to pension fund

CS67 reduction in bank and giro charges

RESOLVED: to recommend that Cabinet accept these saving and bring them forward as soon as there is an opportunity to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Scrutiny of the Business Plan 2014-18: comments and recommendations from the overview and scrutiny panels pdf icon PDF 97 KB

Minutes:

See agenda item 4.

6.

Business Plan Update - Report to Cabinet 20 January 2014 pdf icon PDF 973 KB

Minutes:

See agenda item 4.

7.

Work programme 2013/14 - including consideration of change of date for meeting on 30 April 2014 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Minutes:

The draft work programme was agreed, subject to a change of date for the final meeting from 30 April to 7 April 2014.