Agenda and minutes

Councillor Carol Viney had sent apologies, and Councillor David Wilmhurst substituted.

The Chairman informed the committee that Councillor Stewart Lilly, Deputy Chairman, had sent his apologies.

None.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 4 July 2011 (SSC3) and to receive information arising from them.

Minute 131/11

• Councillor Judith Heathcoat said that she had attended the Manor Hospital and not the John Radcliffe Hospital as recorded.

Minute 135/11

• Consumer Safety Review: noted that a national helpline was being set up

• DAAT consultation: members were appreciative of the one page summary provided.

• Gypsy & Travellers Service: Councillor Judith Heathcoat informed the committee that tender has been submitted.

• Actions on power outage: Members requested update on actions.

• Cogges Museum: noted that a new Director has been appointed.

• Libraries: noted that proposals on volunteering were available on library pages on council website.

136/11

• Councillor Susanna Pressel requested that ‘successively’ be amended to ‘successfully’.

137/11

• Figure referred to in minute is incorrect, and should be £100k for year 2013-14, and £200k in year 2012-13.

None.

10.25

The Director’s update will include discussion of the progress against current budgets within all relevant service areas. Particular attention will be paid to areas where there is a risk of not making the savings outlined in this year’s Business Strategy.

Colin Thomas, deputy Chief Fire Officer, reported on:

Recent Civil Disorder

Colin Thomas reported that multi-agency procedure was activated to ensure that infrastructure was in place to minimise likelihood of disturbances in area, and to be able to deal with any incidences if they occurred.  Only some small cases of disturbances took place.

Councillor Susanna Pressel said that she appreciated the regular updates from Police.

Efficiencies 2011/2012 and 2012/13 budget setting process

The 2011-2012 savings targets for Fire & Rescue were being delivered.  However,  meeting the £100,000 savings target for the Road Safety budget is a challenge.

It is too early to take a view on 2012-2013 budget, as it has yet to go through the Star Chamber process.  Colin Thomas was confident that the budget would meet the Medium Term Financial Plan requirements.

Richard Webb added that Trading Standards was meeting its short term savings targets.  The service had been reviewed and undergone a restructuring exercise.  Sharing services with Buckinghamshire County Council was being talked through as a possible way forward.  The Director for Social & Community Services and the Chief Fire Officer were considering an options paper on this subject.  However, this approach may not deliver the level of savings required.

The Chair of the Committee asked about the timeline for talks with Buckinghamshire.  Richard Webb replied that once budgets and options had been discussed by relevant committees we were looking at October or November as a likely time for proposals to be discussed.  Councillor Judith Heathcoat added that the process was dependent on another authority coming to a view.

Simon Kearey reported on:

Cogges Museum

The trustees are interviewing applicants for the positions of Director and Operations Manager.  46 applications were received for the Director post with 7 being interviewed on 7 September 2011.   6 applicants are being interviewed for the Operations Manager post on 8 September 2011.  Some candidates for each post may be interviewed twice, but it is hoped that appointments will be made in September.

Overall, trustees are pleased with the progress being made; the Natural Bread Company is running the café, and weekend events are proving to be popular.  Simon Kearey said that the greatest gain has been the sign up of volunteers to support the work of the museum.

Libraries

Many meetings have been held with Friends of Library groups and Simon Kearey reported that these had been enthusiastic with the information provided being well received; for example,  information on the role of volunteers.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat added that the meetings were well attended, open and frank with a mixture of support and dissent.  She stressed that no libraries will be closing.

Councillor John Goddard welcomed the analysis provided by council officers.  He said that under current plans volunteers would be essential for running all libraries, and asked if there was any progress in winning over volunteers.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat stated that statistics show that Oxfordshire leads the way in volunteering, and that the plans will be implemented over a three year period.

In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 146/11

11.00

Jacquie Bugeja, Head of Registration, to give a verbal update on reform of the process of death certification in England and Wales. This item will be scrutinised in more detail at the next meeting of the committee, following the release of the formal consultation paper

Jacquie Bugeja and Sue Scane to give a verbal update on arrangements for repatriation at Brize Norton.

The committee are invited to comment.

Jacquie Bugeja reported on:

Death Certificate Reforms

The Department of Health is working with a wide range of organisations and groups to reform the process of death certification.  These reforms will introduce a unified system of scrutiny by independent medical examiners of all deaths in England and Wales which do not require investigation by a coroner.  The reforms are part of the Government’s response to the Shipman Inquiry and aim to strengthen safeguards for the public, make the process of death certification simpler, more open to the bereaved and improve the quality of mortality data.

The Government is proposing to fund scrutiny by medical examiners on a cost-recovery basis through a statutory fee chargeable for all deaths that are not investigated by a coroner.  This statutory fee, collected locally, would replace the existing fee charged by doctors for the completion of cremation forms which will be removed by the new process.

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 made it a duty for Primary Care Trusts to: appoint medical examiners for their area; establish a local medical examiners service; make arrangements to collect the proposed statutory fee; and, ensure required service standards and performance levels are achieved.  The new architecture of the NHS, announced in October 2010, led to a ministerial decision to transfer these responsibilities to upper-tier local authorities through a provision in the Health and Social Care Bill.  This decision was based on the need to maintain local control and independence and the belief that these essential criteria could not be met in any other way.

The new process has been tested in death certification pilots in Sheffield, Gloucestershire, Powys, Mid-Essex, Brighton and Hove, Leicester and inner North London.

The pilot work suggests that an area with 5000 deaths per year would probably require a team of 7 part-time medical examiners supported by 3 full-time medical examiner’s officers.  The cost of providing the services will be recovered from the proposed statutory fee. Work is currently being carried out – with input from local authority representatives – to ensure that the level of fee set, considers the costs of alternative models and other local considerations.

The Death Certification Regulations are expected to be published for consultation in October 2011 and, subject to the Bill’s Parliamentary passage, will be laid before Parliament in May/June 2012 with a commencement date of April 2013.  The extended period between introduction and commencement is intended to provide time for local authorities to establish a local medical examiner’s service for their area.  The Department of Health will assist local authorities by providing a suggested outline of preparatory activities and access to national and regional support.

It was agreed that a further update would be presented to the next meeting of the committee in November.

Coroner’s Service Readiness for Repatriation

Legal responsibilities of the Coroner were outlined, and Jacquie Bugeja assured the Committee that the service was in good shape to cope with the additional work.  She added that the majority of the costs would be met  ...  view the full minutes text for item 147/11

11.30

Richard Webb, Acting Head of Trading Standards & Community Safety, to give a presentation on the use of the RIP act during the first quarter.

The committee is invited to comment on the report attached at SSC7.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ('the Act') regulates the use of covert activities by Local Authorities. It creates the statutory framework by which covert surveillance activities may be lawfully undertaken. Special authorisation arrangements need to be put in place whenever a Local Authority considers commencing covert surveillance or considers obtaining information by the use of informants or officers acting in an undercover capacity.

Codes of Practice issued under the Act provide guidance to authorities on the use of the Act. A revised Code of Practice came into force in April 2010. This new Code of Practice specifies that elected members should review the authority's use of the Act and set the policy at least once a year. They should also consider internal reports on the use of the Act periodically.

The Codes of Practice under the Act require that elected members review the Authority’s use of the Act periodically and review the Authority’s policy annually. This report therefore addresses both of these objectives, giving:

• a periodic summary of the activities undertaken by the Council between  October 2010 to July 2011 inclusive
• an annual report on the use of the Council’s RIPA procedures, including the findings from the recent inspection by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners.

Richard Webb reported that the Committee is required to have oversight of provisions of the Act and review policy annually.  He also informed the committee that an inspection had been carried out in May 2011 on how the authority used its powers under the Act, which found that Oxfordshire County Council’s procedures under the Act were of the highest quality.

Richard Webb said the powers are mainly used by Trading Standards and only he, Peter Clark and Sue Scane can authorise activities.  The main use made by Trading Standards is to check underage sales and doorstep crime.

11.55

Richard Webb, Acting Head of Trading Standards and Community Safety, will brief the committee on the Government's consultation on proposed changes to the landscape for consumer protection enforcement, advice and education; including the findings of a recent National Audit Office report into the effectiveness of consumer protection enforcement.

Richard Webb reported that the National Audit Office review of consumer protection stressed the importance of Trading Standards services working collaboratively and more consistently.

The key proposals included setting up a new consumer protection board to ensure that intelligence collected nationally would be shared locally and across boundaries if necessary.

Members of the committee were concerned that more responsibilities would be placed on Citizen Advice Bureaux (CAB) with the risk that their independence may be undermined.

Richard Webb would draft a response to the national consultation which would be informed by the following comments made at Committee:

• No reduction in funding of CABs from Oxfordshire County Council;
• No reduction in local intelligence at ‘1^st tier’;
• Welcome the strengthening of cross-border intelligence and working.

12.10

At the July 4^th meeting the committee requested more time to read and comment on the four Community Safety Plans for 2011-14. Ruth Whyte, Manager of the Safer Communities Unit, will take the committee’s questions on the plans.

The committee are invited to note the plans and comment on their content.

The draft Community Safety Plans had initially been tabled at the July 2011 meeting of the committee, and members had decided to discuss any comments at 5 September meeting.  Members to have let Ruth Whyte any comments in the intervening period.

Ruth Whyte reminded members that the specific plans reflected local needs, but all worked within a common framework to ensure consistency and progress against agreed goals.

Members wanted actions on reducing recidivism to be more prominent, and an update on progress on implementing the MANTRAH programme.

12.20

Carol Anderson, Museum Service Manager, will give an update on the draft heritage strategy.

The committee is invited to comment on the strategy.

Paper to be sent separately.

Carol Anderson apologised for not providing a written report, and explained that this was due to changes to how the application process is to be run and the transition of responsibilities from Museums, Libraries and Archives to the Arts Council.  The draft was now with the Directors of council and university museums awaiting input and approval.  Once the draft is agreed it would be sent to the committee.

The strategy will aim to make Oxfordshire a centre of museum excellence via collections, research expertise and an outreach programme.

N.b. minute title amended at the meeting of 7 November 2011

12.35

Peter Cleary, Area Manager Safety, will give a presentation on the report on Road Safety.

The committee are invited to comment on the report.

The transfer of the Road Safety Education team from Environment and Economy (E&E) to Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) occurred on 1 April 2011.  This transfer was based on the significant opportunity to align and enhance the existing road safety education activities in E&E and the OFRS.

The transfer of staff and function occurred in line with the agreed Medium Term Financial Plan, with an overall base budget reduction of £100k.  No managerial staff were transferred and all management functions have been absorbed by the Fire & Rescue Service.  This has required a small internal reorganisation of existing staff roles.

This report, specifically requested by Scrutiny, identifies the international, national and local overview of road safety, outlines existing programmes and makes draft recommendations and proposals for future delivery programmes within Oxfordshire.  Proposals will be subject to a specific staff, and where appropriate stakeholder consultation.

Meanwhile road safety delivery programmes continue during the period of transition.

Peter Cleary reported that the alignment of Environment and Economy and Fire and Rescue Road Safety activities was progressing well.  He added that managerial functions have been absorbed into the Fire and Rescue structure.  Work was being carried out to reduce overlap and duplication of activities.

12.50

To be sent separately.

The work programme was not discussed at committee.

1.10

To note items of interest to the committee.

Noted that feedback on library service consultation would be available.