Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

The following declaration of interest was made in accordance with the code of conduct –

The Management Board will be asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2012.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2012.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Vote of Thanks

The Chair commented that, subject to receipt of any call-ins, this would be the last meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for the municipal year.  He therefore asked that a vote of thanks be recorded to all members for their commitment to scrutiny throughout the year and highlighted some of the key achievements.  Particular thanks was paid to –

• Giles Perritt, Lead Officer, and Katey Johns, Democratic Support Officer for their continued support and professionalism; and
• Councillor Wildy, who was retiring as a councillor at the forthcoming elections, for her dedication to Children and Young People’s scrutiny.  The Chair wished her all the very best for the future.

(In accordance with Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair brought forward the above item of business in order to inform Members).

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will receive an update from the Leader and Chief Executive on current Council and City issues.

The Board welcomed the Leader and Director for Corporate Services who were in attendance to report on current City and Council issues.  Members were advised that the Chief Executive had been unable to attend due to a conflicting engagement with the Prime Minister at Downing Street.  Highlights of the verbal submission included –

• the recent opening of the Life Centre;
• amendment of the Capital Programme to include over £2.5m for waves three and four of the Basic Need Programme;
• commencement of a programme of building improvements to a number of primary schools in the City as well as increasing capacity in order to address the shortfall of places for reception age children;
• up to 80 per cent of the value of the £11.3m design and build contract for the All Saints Academy would be spent in Plymouth ensuring jobs for local trades as well as apprenticeship opportunities;
• establishment of growing relationships with colleagues in health through scrutiny work, including creation of a shadow Health and Wellbeing Board;
• approval of a Housing Plan based around the following four key housing themes –
  • growing the city
  • better homes – healthy lives
  • housing choices – smarter solutions
  • successful communities
• contributing £1m to the disabled facilities grant budget;
• adoption of a personal budget policy;
• investment in improving the customer experience.

The Board thanked the Leader and Director for Corporate Services for their attendance.

The Board will consider Cabinet’s response to the recommendations arising from scrutiny of the budget priorities and Corporate Plan 2012/13.

Members considered Cabinet’s response to the budget scrutiny recommendations and were pleased to note that out of the 62 recommendations submitted, only three had not been accepted. 

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will consider the third monitoring report for 2011/12 as submitted to Cabinet on 7 February 2012.

The Board considered the third monitoring report for 2011/12 which outlined the performance and finance monitoring position of the Council, as at the end of December 2011, and included an update on the Capital Programme.  The report advised that the Council was very close to its budget set for the year end and remained confident that the target would be achieved.

Members again voiced concerns about the delay in receiving the report and queried whether the information could be presented to them sooner.  The Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and People suggested that it may be worthwhile considering changing the date of Board meetings so that they were more closely aligned to Cabinet meetings.

Agreed -

The Board will consider the action plan for the Revenues and Benefits service as agreed at its meeting on 29 February 2012.

Further to minute 97(7), the Assistant Director for Finance, Technology, Assets and Efficiencies was in attendance to report on the Revenues and Benefits Action Plan.  Members were advised that –

In response to questions raised, Members were advised that –

The Board noted the update with thanks.

To receive a briefing paper reviewing the succession arrangements put in place following the demise of the Devonport Regeneration Company Partnership.

The Board received a briefing paper outlining the succession arrangements in respect of the Devonport Regeneration Company.  The report provided details of how the New Deal for Communities money was continuing to be delivered and supported in Devonport.

Members expressed concern that there appeared to be a lack of ownership to the strategy and queried how its progression would be monitored.

Agreed that the Director for Place be requested to nominate a responsible officer and that a further more detailed update be submitted to the Board in six months’ time.

Members will be advised of any executive decisions that have been called in.

There were no call-ins for consideration at this meeting.

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will monitor progress on previous decisions.

The Board considered the schedule of decisions made and noted the latest position.

To receive new items from the Forward Plan with a view to identifying items for scrutiny.

The Board noted that there had been four new additions to the Forward Plan as follows –

• North Prospect Library Proposed Relocation to Community Hub, North Prospect Road, North Prospect, Plymouth – Acquisition of Lease
• Schools Revenue Budget 2012/13
• Policy Framework Item: Housing Plan 2012-2017
• Policy Framework Item: Local Development Framework: Submission of the Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan

To receive for consideration any Task and Finish Group reports or updates on Task and Finish groups currently in progress –

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
• Lord Mayoralty Function

The Board considered the following Task and Finish Group reports –

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
• Lord Mayoralty Function

Agreed –

To receive and consider recommendations from panels, Cabinet or Council.

The Board endorsed and agreed the following recommendations –

Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel

To consider and approve work programmes for each of the Panels, to include a progress update from each of the Chairs.

The work programmes of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and scrutiny panels were noted and approved as submitted.  With regard to the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Wildy expressed her sincere thanks to Amelia Boulter, Democratic Support Officer, for her support to the Panel and to Councillor Stark, Vice-Chair.

With regard to the Customers and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Thompson raised the issue of social media and expressed concern that it had now disappeared off the radar of both his panel and that of Support Services.  He advised that he would be re-introducing the matter to the Customer and Communities Work Programme for 2012/13.

With regard to the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel, the Chair thanked her Democratic Support Officer, Ross Jago, and Councillor McDonald, Vice-Chair.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) … of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There were no items of exempt business.