Agenda and minutes

Councillor Nicholas P. Turner attended in place of Councillor Alyas Ahmed.

Councillor Sajjad Hussain Malik sent his apologies.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2009 (SSC3) and any matters arising on them.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2009 were approved and signed.

10:15

Contact Officer: Lorna Baxter, Assistant Head of Finance (Corporate Finance), 01865 323971

The attached report (SSC5) sets out the Business Improvement & Efficiency Strategies for the  Directorates relevant to this scrutiny committee. The strategies contain the identified pressures and proposed savings over the medium term from 2010/11 to 2014/15. For reference, the current financial context and the report to the Strategy & Partnerships Scrutiny Committee are included. The scrutiny committee is invited to consider and comment on the strategies and the pressures and savings contained therein.

Comments from each scrutiny committee will be collated and fed back to the Cabinet by the Strategy and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee which meets on 14 January 2010.

Members of the Committee will have the opportunity to question the Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities, together with the Director for Community Safety & Shared Services and Chief Fire Officer, the Director for Social & Community Services, the Head of Community Services,

and Heads of Service and other officers on the identified pressures and proposed savings. Officers from Financial Services will also be present at the meeting to answer any questions that the Committee may wish to ask.

Presentations will be given to the Committee on the identified pressures and proposed savings for 2010/11: 1. Cultural Services 2. The Fire & Rescue Service and Emergency Planning 3. Other areas that sit within Community Safety.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the Directorate Efficiency Strategies plus the identified pressures and proposals for savings contained therein.

The report before the Committee (SSC5) set out the Business Improvement & Efficiency Strategies for the Directorates relevant to this Committee. The strategies contained the identified pressures and proposed savings over the medium term from 2010/11 to 2014/15. The Committee was invited to consider and comment on the strategies and pressures and savings contained therein.

The Committee also had before it a paper setting out detail around external arts organisations core funded by Community Services which was circulated at the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities, together with the Director for Community Safety & Shared Services and Chief Fire Officer, the Director for Social & Community Services, the Head of Community Services, and Heads of Service and other officers attended for this item in order to answer the Committee’s questions in relation to the identified pressures and proposed savings.  The Assistant Head of Finance (Corporate Finance) alsoattended to answer any questions from the Committee.

Mr Richard Munro (Head of Community Services) gave a presentation on budgetary pressures and efficiencies in relation to Community Services, a copy of which is attached to the signed Minutes.

Key points are listed below:

·        those areas of Community Services included within today’s budget consideration comprised: the Library Service, Heritage and Arts (with the exception of the Music Service), the Registration Service and Cultural & Community Development;

·        Pressures facing those areas were:

o       the existing commitment to £190,000 of unidentified savings rising to £689,000;

o       the cost of prudential borrowing for invest-to-save schemes: £18,000 possibly rising to £60,000;

o       loss of income (eg decline in take up of audio visual facilities);

o       renegotiation of the Victoria County History contract;

o       contribution to the Directorate savings target: £61,000 rising to £583,000.

·        The cost reduction strategy comprised:

o       service transformation

o       one off investment to create efficiencies

o       better cost effectiveness through partnerships

o       a reduction in management capacity

o       other savings options

·        Savings proposals covered the following areas:

o       The Library Change Programme

§         Self Service

§         Mobile Library Service

o       Oxfordshire Studies and Archives Service

o       Victoria Community History

o       Arts grants

o       Earned income

o       Management capacity – structures would have to be looked at in order to reduce expenditure.

The Committee then asked a number of questions. A selection of the Committee’s questions, together with the responses, is listed below:

·        In relation to the introduction of self service in the county’s libraries who would check the records of automated returns and give out any fines?

Self service would be introduced in twelve of the county’s larger libraries. The self service terminals would be able to handle cash transactions and would be very flexible.

·        Had money for repairs and maintenance been factored in? Would repairs and maintenance be the remit of the suppliers rather than the County Council?

The larger libraries would have at least two self service terminals and the largest would have four, so there would always be a backup in place. The technology was well tested and had been around  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35/10

14:20

Contact Officer: Dave Etheridge, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Head of Service Delivery, (01865) 855206

Mr Etheridge will give a presentation to the Committee on the detail behind the proposals in the Draft Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2010/11, with particular reference to proposal (a) Day Crewing Review at Abingdon and Didcot Fire Stations, and will also address those questions which have already been submitted by members of this Committee.

Following the presentation the Committee will have the opportunity to ask any questions.

The Committee is invited to conduct a question and answer session.

Mr Dave Etheridge (Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Head of Service Delivery) gave a presentation to  the Committee on proposal (a) of the Draft Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2010/11 (Day Crewing Review at Abingdon and Didcot Fire Stations), a copy of which is appended to these Minutes (Refer Annex 1) and attached to the signed Minutes. 

The Committee also had before it data on Brigade retained non availability (hours) between and including 2004-05 and 2008-09 and the worst performing stations in terms of the same criteria for each of those years. A paper which answered the Committee’s previous questions in detail was circulated at the meeting.

The Committee noted that 80% of the county was covered by fire engines which were wholly crewed by Retained Duty System personnel and therefore the decline in retained non availability was of serious concern.

The Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities asked that her thanks to the Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Officer for their work on the proposal be recorded.

Following a question and answer session the Committee AGREED the following:

This Committee:

·        recognises the detailed work that has already been carried out to prepare the proposal, with particular regard to the close working with staff and the Fire Brigades’ Union;

·        agrees that the proposal will provide a more robust means of delivering fire service cover across the whole of the county;

·        fully supports the proposal and would welcome its implementation next year.

15:20

Contact officer – Colin Thomas, Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Head of Service Support, (01865) 855206

Mr Colin Thomas (Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Head of Service Support) will answer any questions which the Committee wishes to ask.

A gantt chart giving an overview of all of the different work streams will be provided to the meeting.

The Committee had before it a written update on the progress of the Fire Service Command and Control Room (FiReControl and FireLink Projects), together with a GANTT Chart which was circulated at the meeting.

Mr Colin Thomas (Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Head of Service Support) updated the Committee on progress.

The Committee then thanked officers for their informative and user friendly GANTT Chart, which provided an excellent overview of all of the activities required to implement the FireLink/FireControl programme.

15:30

Contact Officer: Dr Imran Alvi, (01865 810822)

As agreed at the October meeting, this Committee’s proposed work programme timeline is attached (SSC8) and will be updated at each meeting as scrutiny activities are arranged.

The Committee is asked to note any changes/additional information in relation to the attached timeline.

The Committee noted the updated work programme timeline and that more focussed work in relation to the provision of debt and money advice was still being scoped.

15:35

The Committee is asked to note any items of interest on the current version of the Forward Plan which covers the time period December 2009 – March 2010.

No items were identified for consideration.

15:40

Report back on advice given by this Committee to the Cabinet, full Council, other scrutiny committees, relevant strategic partnership bodies and other organisations where appropriate.

• Draft Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management Action Plan 2010/11

On 26 October the Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities agreed to:

a)                 approve the proposed projects to be included in the Draft IRMP Action Plan 2010-11 for ‘risk analysis’ and consultation as outlined in the report;

b)                 ask the Director for Community Safety and Chief Fire Officer to report the outcome of consultation, with any recommendations for amendment, to the Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities in  February 2010, with a view to formal adoption of the Action Plan for implementation from April 2010.

The Committee noted the tracking information, as listed on the face of the agenda.