Category: Wirral Council

Cabinet 3/11/2011 Part 1 Motions (Inflation, Projected Budget & PACSPE call-in)

The agenda and reports are here. There were three motions at last week’s Cabinet meeting. They are all below. Agenda Item: Provision for Inflation 2012-2013 Cabinet agrees all the recommendations, Cabinet asks Chief Officers to contain any price inflation costs within their existing budgets, as it notes that the long term Government assumption of inflation … Continue reading “Cabinet 3/11/2011 Part 1 Motions (Inflation, Projected Budget & PACSPE call-in)”

The agenda and reports are here.

There were three motions at last week’s Cabinet meeting. They are all below.

Agenda Item: Provision for Inflation 2012-2013

Cabinet agrees all the recommendations, Cabinet asks Chief Officers to contain any price inflation costs within their existing budgets, as it notes that the long term Government assumption of inflation costs is set at 2% which is the amount contained within the projected budget, and that this will equate to a savings of £4.2m at a time when the Council is facing serious financial pressures.

Agenda Item: Budget Projections 2012-2015

Cabinet notes, with dismay, that the projected budget gap is likely to rise by 2014/15 to nearly £47m as a result of likely changes in the Local Government Resource Review and the implications of new legislation.

Cabinet recognises that these are projections based on what is known or anticipated at the moment on a pro rata basis between authorities, and could perhaps be even worse than anticipated when the direct impact on Wirral is calculated.

Cabinet expresses its grave concern that potential cuts at this level will be extremely damaging to Wirral’s services and to the people of Wirral at a time when the country’s economy is facing a slide into depression and poorer areas will once more be those which are hit the hardest.

Agenda Item: Parks and Countryside Services Procurement Exercise (PACSPE) – Outcome of Call-In

This Cabinet has considered carefully the resolution submitted to it by the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

It recognises the detailed work that went into the procurement process and the Gateway Reviews that were carried out as part of that process and does not question the thoroughness of those Reviews or the dedication and ability of those carrying out those Reviews;

However, the Cabinet believes that this does not alter the fact that detailed unit costs and specific activity levels, which would have allowed for full comparator costs to be available to check against the tender specifications, were not available and that this would have left the Council open to the same criticism on the PACSPE contract that was levied against the HESPE contract:

  • Cabinet recognises the seriousness of the qualification by the District Auditor of the Council’s Value for Money statement and of the warning to Members that they should be aware of the increased risk of letting a ten year contract if there is only very limited information on the costs and activity levels of the existing service because there is nothing to monitor against when assessing whether or not letting the contract has delivered better value for money.
  • Cabinet further considered the position that the cost of contractual inflation over a period of three years at current CPI levels would erode any savings delivered by outsourcing the contract and in subsequent years could increase costs to the Council.
  • Cabinet was further mindful that this decision was being taken when a highly critical Corporate Governance report had just been published which pointed in general to weaknesses in the Council’s commissioning, managing and where necessary dismissing failing contractors and suppliers.
  • Cabinet, therefore, re-iterates its decision taking on 22 September 2011 and re-affirms the full content of the resolution passed, as stated in Cabinet Minute No. 117, including its confidence in the ability and commitment of the workforce to deliver an excellent service, with proper support and good management, over the next ten years.

Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee 8th November 2011 Part 1, Howard Cooper retires, Minutes, Declarations of Interest, Site Strategy Review

The agenda and reports for this meeting can be found here.

Present
Non-voting reps/co-optees (who are part of the committee)
Sue Lowe
Diane Hill (LINKS)
Sandra Wall (Older Peoples Parliament)

Councillors (part of the committee)
Cllr Mike Hornby
Cllr Geoffrey Watt
Cllr Sheila Clarke
Cllr Cherry Povall
Cllr Patricia Glasman (Chair)
Cllr Denise Roberts
Cllr Paul Doughty
Cllr Joe Walsh
Cllr Pat Williams
Cllr Bob Wilkins

Officers (there to advise the councillors and co-optees)
Howard Cooper (Interim Director of Adult Social Services, Wirral Council)
Kathy Doran, (Chief Executive NHS Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral (West Cheshire))
Gary Doherty (Acting Chief Executive, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
Peter Herring (Chief Executive, Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust)

The Chair Cllr Glasman said that Howard Cooper was retiring in December. She thanked him for stepping in last Autumn.

Howard Cooper said she was very kind and that he had enjoyed working on the huge changes over the last year and if he was stuck for what to do on a Tuesday night he knew where to come.

Cllr Glasman introduced the people on the committee, then moved to declarations of interest. Cllr Sheila Clarke declared a personal interest in item 8, Cllr Hornby declared an interest in item 5, Cllr Patricia Glasman also declared an interest in item 5.

The minutes were agreed, due to the long agenda the couple of items from the last meeting that required responses could be raised at the end of the meeting or taken up by email. The minutes were agreed.

Cllr Glasman started with the site strategy report including the report on the vascular site strategy review. She asked the committee to listen to the report, make any queries on items except vascular, then they would take questions, followed by the clinician’s report and Kathy Doran’s report.

Gary Doherty started by asking Tina Long and Sue Green to give an introduction to the report.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 14 Housing Market Renewal Initiative

Cllr Realey said she was new on this committee, but pointed out that councillors meet a lot of people that might be entitled to investment and could staff come to a future meeting and give a talk on this?

David Ball said he would make the information available and Paula was available already to businesses. He said they cold come to each meeting and signpost councillors.

The Chair said he had added an item to the work program that day, which was an update on the Housing Market Renewal Initiative by Ian. Ian said a decision was imminent, there was a transition fund but they had been left in limbo.

Cllr Niblock said he lived in a Housing Market Renewal Initiative area, declared a prejudicial interest and left the room.

Ian said a decision was imminent, he had spoken to the Homes and Communities Agency. They had advised him that by January 2012 a decision should be made.

The Chair, Cllr Johnston said the next meeting on the 16th January was on his 40th birthday. He thanked the officers.

Cllr Gerry Ellis queried why the committee had to go into closed session for the last item regeneration update, surely Wirral Council should be open with the public? The Chair Cllr Johnson replied that it was because of commercially sensitive information and the press and public were asked to leave.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 13 Performance and Financial Review, Business Start program

The Chair said the question had been asked by Stuart that officers were not equipped to answer. He moved his motion and called for a councillor to second his motion. Cllr Pat Hackett seconded the motion.

Four councillors voted for, four councillors voted against.

The Chair had a casting vote, the Chair, Cllr Johnston decided to keep the extra information there.

David Ball gave an update on future plans for the Business Start Programme. He said that the plan had been to continue until March 2012, however the winding up of the North West Development Agency by the end of December meant that intensive start-up help would end by the 31st December. They had served notice on Enterprise Solutions of this. They would try to develop future options and Kevin would bring a report to a future meeting in the New Year. There would be support under the new Enterprise Allowance, which was a government-funded scheme to support unemployed people funded by the Department of Work and Pensions. He would circulate a briefing note with the technicalities but this program would help certain sections and not be the universal service they had at the present time.

Cllr Wittingham asked if Wirral Biz would be gone? David Ball said that Wirral Biz was the trading name and would go with the demise of the agency.

Cllr Mountney asked when they were instructed to wind up, would they lose money? David Ball said following the move from the North West Development Agency there may be instructions from central government, but they had expected the money till 2012, it was just ending sooner than anticipated. Cllr Wittingham said it was the “government’s fault”.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 12 Performance and Financial Review

Cllr Mountney said he welcomed the report and the financial information included. The Chair said he wanted to add something to the work program. Cllr Wittingham referred to 4.4.1, 4.4.4 in reference to a 21% decrease in contracts made. The Chair said he wanted to carry on with the point about why the next two pages had come here. David Ball said the previous performance report format had covered what was relevant to the committee what worked well, performance indicators and actions which gave an opportunity for scrutiny and comment. The second half was lifted from a report of Jim Wilkie to the Cabinet. He thought the corporate information might be of interest, but was not directly relevant to the report. The reports had been merged together. In reference to Cllr Wittingham’s question he would have to go away, ask and circulate an answer to the committee as he didn’t deal with those areas.

The Chair said he would be more comfortable if they only received information relevant to the scrutiny area and were just asked to cover the remit of the committee and not ground other committees cover.

Cllr George Davies said the second part followed on from a two-part report on finance and the economy. He understand that the financial part had been added but he didn’t see the relevance to the Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair said he would move that in future only performance indicators relevant to the committee would be used. Cllr Ellis said it was helpful background information to see and note.