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Cabinet (Wirral Council) 8th December 2011 Part 2, Declarations of Interest, Minutes (24/11), Corporate Plan

The agenda and reports for the Cabinet meeting can be found by following the link. Present: Cllr Steve Foulkes (Chair) Cllr Harry Smith Cllr Chris Meaden Cllr Ann McLachlan Cllr Anne McArdle Cllr George Davies Cllr Adrian Jones Cllr Brian Kenny Cllr Phil Davies Cllr Steve Foulkes welcomed people to the Cabinet meeting. A blanket … Continue reading “Cabinet (Wirral Council) 8th December 2011 Part 2, Declarations of Interest, Minutes (24/11), Corporate Plan”

The agenda and reports for the Cabinet meeting can be found by following the link.

Present:
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Chair)
Cllr Harry Smith
Cllr Chris Meaden
Cllr Ann McLachlan
Cllr Anne McArdle
Cllr George Davies
Cllr Adrian Jones
Cllr Brian Kenny
Cllr Phil Davies

Cllr Steve Foulkes welcomed people to the Cabinet meeting. A blanket declaration of interest was made for councillors who are school governors on the item on school admission policies.

Cllr Phil Davies declared an interest in item 22, Funding of Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector 2012/2013 as he is a non-executive director of the Wirral Multicultural organisation (Wirral Council appointment).
Cllr Brian Kenny declared an interest in item 22, Funding of Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector 2012/2013 as he is a non-executive director of the Wirral Multicultural organisation (Wirral Council appointment).
Cllr Brian Kenny declared an interest in item 18, Local Development Framework – Developer Contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy as he is a member of the Planning Committee (Wirral Council appointment).
Cllr Anne McArdle declared an interest in item 22, Funding of Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector 2012/2013 as she is on the management board of Leasowe Community Homes (Wirral Council appointment).

The minutes of the meeting held on the 24th November 2011 were agreed.

Jim Wilkie, Chief Executive, introduced the first item on the revised Corporate Plan. He said it was a proposed Corporate Plan which set out the vision for Wirral Council and its set of proposed values highlighting the sections on health, well being and child poverty. Mr. Wilkie brought people’s attention to the five themes of the previous Corporate Plan, it set out the goals for the next few years as well as the next year, he was happy to answer any questions.

Cabinet (Wirral Council) 8th December 2011 Part 1 Motions (libraries, Autumn statement, 0% Council Tax increase)

There were three motions to Wirral Council’s Cabinet meeting. For each motion you can click on the images for a larger version. The motion on libraries strategy is below, which will mean libraries will be open on Wednesdays and at lunchtimes after the merge with the One Stop Shops is complete.

Libraries motion (Cabinet) Wirral Council 8/12/2011

The second motion is on the Chancellors’ Autumn Statement.

Autumn statement motion (Wirral Council) Cabinet 8/12/2011

The third motion was on the Budget and is across two pages. It signals the minority Labour administration’s desire to have a 0% Council Tax increase for 2012/2013.

Projected Budget Motion (Wirral Council) Cabinet 8th December 2011 Page 1 of 2


Projected Budget Motion (Wirral Council) Cabinet 8th December 2011 Page 2 of 2

Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 6 Internal Audit Update

Cllr Jim Crabtree asked if Cllr Ron Abbey had a question.

Cllr Simon Mountney said it was unfair to ask [Colin Hughes]. He said the question should be put to the Director of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management [Bill Norman] at the earliest opportunity.

Cllr Ron Abbey said the wanted his question minuted. He referred to item 4 section 4.3 (b)(i) and the audit undertaken of the Department of Adult Social Services Day to Day Procurement System. He said that the issues raised in the audit had not been addressed by the Department of Adult Social Services, but following the reorganisation responsibility now rested with the Department of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management. He wanted to know the timescale and when the committee would see it, even as an interim announcement between meetings sent to the Chair, Deputy Chair, spokespersons and the rest of the committee.

Colin Hughes said that he was sure they would their best to comply, but he was not familiar with it.

Cllr Ron Abbey said the Department for Adult Social Services actions had not been actioned and responsibility had been given to the Department of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management to resolve it following the reorganisation. He wanted timescales as to when it would be delivered and reported on in the interim period between meetings. It was important that recommendations were made into actions as speedily as possible rather than not actioned. Cllr Abbey said this issue went back months and months and months. He wanted them to be a bit more prompt and he said the critical report showed we’re “not good at dealing with anything as an organisation”.

Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 5 Internal Audit Update

Cllr Jim Crabtree said they would find someone.

Cllr Abbey said he had other questions on actions and timescales.

Cllr Simon Mountney said he was happy to talk, but the decision over not having a legal adviser because he had a meeting tomorrow he thought “a disgrace”. He repeated that he thought it was a disgrace.

Cllr Jim Crabtree said it was his decision, that Sarjit had asked and that had been his response.

Cllr Simon Mountney said he was delighted that Colin was here, but that Colin didn’t know about the items on the agenda. He wasn’t going to ask Colin to go away but he felt it was a waste of their time.

Cllr James Keeley said he was happy to move forward.

Cllr Ron Abbey said he wasn’t being disrespectful, but that [Cllr Crabtree] should have asked the committee who would’ve said no. He felt that the Department for Adult Social Service had kicked it into the long grass with no answer. He said was important for good governance and for advising Cabinet. He was mindful that there would be the holidays soon. They would soon be dealing with the Budget, after that would be the local elections, then things would be delayed to the Mayor Making. He was sorry to labour the point, but it was symptomatic of the way things were happening.

Cllr Jim Crabtree said would be appropriate for Bill Norman to write to members of the committee.

Cllr Ron Abbey suggested this was done by “pony express” not “snail mail”.

Audit & Risk Management Committee (Wirral Council) 29th November 2011 Part 4 Internal Audit Update

Cllr Abbey said he had to be as blunt as this as time after time, actions had not been actioned. He had suspicions it was deliberate. He said the corporate governance recommendations had not been actioned, damage done and that they should have people sitting at this committee as it was a very important meeting in going forward. Cllr Abbey said they can’t do corporate governance without the relevant officers present and it was symptomatic of the problems.

Cllr Jim Crabtree said he apologised on Surjit’s behalf, Surjit had a meeting tomorrow and work to do and had asked Cllr Crabtree if he was needed.

Cllr Ron Abbey said they had more important and pressing matters and nothing was more important than good…

Cllr Jim Crabtree said Colin Hughes was in the building.

Cllr Ron Abbey said senior people were not here and they were “paying lip service” to “addressing issues”.

Cllr James Keeley said he agreed. It was a “statutory committee” and it was outrageous they had no legal adviser.

Cllr Jim Crabtree said he could adjourn the committee until one was found.

Cllr Alan Brighouse said he shared the concerns.

Cllr Jim Crabtree said Surjit had asked if he was really needed as tomorrow he had a tribunal.

Cllr Ron Abbey said he appreciated officers could be unable to attend, but a replacement officer should be a matter of course. He appreciated David Taylor-Smith was here on behalf of the Department of Finance, but there was no-one from the Department of Law, Human Resources and Asset Management.