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ITEM EX3

EXECUTIVE – 20 JULY 2004

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 5.15 pm

Present:

The Executive considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a schedule of addenda tabled at the meeting, and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda, reports and schedule, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

173/04. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Janet Godden.

174/03. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Keith Mitchell declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 12 as a member of the Association of British Drivers.

175/04. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2004 were approved and signed.

176/04. FINANCIAL MONITORING

(Agenda Item 5)

The Executive considered a report (EX5) which set out the financial position for 2004/05 to the end of April.

RESOLVED: to:

1. agree the application of the identified uncommitted grant of £2.314m against potential service pressures in Social & Health Care arising in year as set out in the report;
2. approve the adjustments shown in the updated Capital Programme at Annex 8.
   
   

177/04. REVIEW OF PROPERTY ASSETS

(Agenda Item 6)

The Executive considered a report (EX6) which outlined progress thus far on the Review of Property Assets, including a review of smallholdings, staff housing, traveller sites and leasing policy, together with the comments of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee thereon.

Mr Tailby reported that due to logistical difficulties, the proposed officer, member and partner workshops outlined in Annex 4 to the report would now be in the form of 3 half day events.

RESOLVED: accepting the comments of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee to:

1. indicate support for the approach to the review of offices in the northern area and that option 3 should be the preferred option at this stage, subject to the findings of a review of offices in the City and southern area, and to the outcome of the workshops intended to identify non-office and partner opportunities and facilitate local member input;
2. agree the proposal for reviewing the Council’s approach to repair and maintenance as set out in Annex 5, the review to include how need was assessed and priorities set, a risk assessment and an assessment of options for addressing the backlog;
3. agree the recommendations set out in the report on traveller sites, smallholdings, staff housing and leased/composite sites;
4. agree to detailed analysis of office provision in the City and southern areas of the County, as had been carried out in the northern area, including reviews of Yarnton House, the Cricket Road Centre and provision of corporate learning and development facility; and
5. request a further report in December 2004 setting out the conclusions of the work arising from the above recommendations, including a proposed strategy and outline implementation plan for the whole county, and request the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee to consider the conclusions of this work in November 2004.
   
   

178/04. HUMAN RESOURCES STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 7)

The Executive considered a report (EX7) which outlined feedback on a draft HR Strategy which had been the subject of consultation with members of staff.

The Deputy Leader of the Council welcomed the advice from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny committee and undertook to take the observations into account when finalising the strategy for publication.

RESOLVED: to approve the draft HR Strategy, subject to the final wording being approved in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council.

179/04. FAITH SCHOOLS - SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 8)

The Executive considered the report by the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee on this Review (EX8). Councillor Andrew Brown, a member of the Lead Member Review Group, presented the Review report and commended its recommendations.

Councillor Crabbe congratulated the Review team on their report and highlighted the complex issues raised by the Review, particularly the resource implications and considerations for the Learning & Culture Directorate, and proposed the motion recorded in the resolution below.

Councillor Purse then proposed an amendment to the motion by the deletion of the modification of recommendation R1 of the Review report. The amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 5 votes to 2.

The motion was then put and it was:

RESOLVED: (Councillor Purse abstaining) to:

1. accept recommendation R1 set out in the Review report, subject to deleting ‘currently appropriate’ in line 7 and inserting the words ‘viable at present’;
2. request the Director for Learning & Culture to examine recommendations R2 – R9 in detail and bring a report to the Executive setting out the implications in early 2005.
   
   

180/04. HERITAGE SERVICES BEST VALUE REVIEW

(Agenda Item 9)

The Executive considered the Review and Action Plan (EX9) which had been referred to the Executive by the Best Value Committee, together with the advice of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Fawcett welcomed the comments of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee which would be considered within the budget process.

RESOLVED: to approve the Review report and Action Plan for implementation.

181/04. CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 10)

The Executive considered the report by the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee on this Review (EX10). Councillors Biddy Hudson and Craig Simmons presented the Review report and commended its recommendations.

Councillor Purse thanked the review team for their work, but identified the need to consider the reviews findings in conjunction with the findings of the recent audit inspection of sustainable development.

The Chief Executive welcomed the findings of the review and referred to the need to ascertain the practicality and cost effectiveness of some of the options.

An undertaking was given that the Audit Commission Inspection Report would be copied to the Lead Member Review Group when available.

RESOLVED: to consider the Review’s recommendations in the light of the outcome of the Audit Commission Inspection on Sustainable Development.

182/04. UK SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 11)

The Executive considered a report (EX11) which sought approval to a response to the government consultation "Taking it on – developing UK sustainable strategy together".

Councillor Joslin expressed the view that the UK was performing at least as well as most other countries, but highlighted what he perceived as continuing shortcomings on a range of social inclusion issues.

RESOLVED: to authorise a response to the consultation paper on the basis of the comments set out in the report, the response to be sent in the name of the Executive Member for Sustainable Development.

183/04. 50 MPH SPEED LIMITS

(Agenda Item 12)

The Executive considered a report (EX12) which outlined criteria for 50mph speed limits recommended by the task force set up to develop a speed management strategy.

Councillors Terry Joslin and David Wilmshurst, as members of the task force, spoke in support of the report’s recommendations.

It was noted that proposals would be coming forward to a future meeting for the direct involvement of members in developing speed limit proposals for individual sites.

RESOLVED: to:

1. adopt the outline criteria and consultation procedures set out in the report for evaluation of proposals for 50 mph speed limits;
2. endorse the proposals in the annexes to the report illustrating survey methods, route extent, preliminary consultation and supporting measures to be used in conjunction with new 50 mph speed limits.
   
   

184/04. SENIOR MANAGEMENT GRADING STRUCTURE

(Agenda Item 13)

The Executive considered a report (EX13) which outlined proposals to provide a consistent approach to management of pay for senior jobs across the Authority.

Mrs Corrigan reported that in the 2^nd and 4^th line of paragraph 10 of the report "by June 2005" should read "by April 2005", and pointed out that the salary levels specified in the report were subject to the national "Green Book" pay award.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the new grading structure at Annex 1 to the report;
2. agree to the phased costs of implementation of the new grading structure, to be found from within existing Directorate budgets;
3. endorse the principles set out in paragraph 7 of the report.
   
   

185/04. ADULT AND COMMUNITY LEARNING STAFFING STRUCTURE

(Agenda Item 14)

The Executive considered a report (EX14) which outlined the rationale and consultation responses for the forthcoming modernising of the structure of the Adult and Community Learning Service.

Councillor Joslin expressed concern over accommodation problems for the Didcot Adult Learning Centre. Councillor Crabbe undertook to discuss this issue with Councillor Joslin.

RESOLVED: to endorse the principle of restructuring of the Adult and Community Learning Service as outlined in the report.

186/04. PROMOTION OF RACE EQUALITY

(Agenda Item 15)

On 15 June 2004 Council had adopted a motion by Councillor Robert Evans in the following amended form. "This Council recommends the Executive to arrange for all members of the Council to undertake appropriate training, learning and development on the extent and nature of the Council’s duties under the [Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000], as a matter of considerable urgency".

The Executive now considered a report (EX15) which proposed that an appropriate training module should be added to the core member training programme, and that a more detailed specification be developed in consultation with (in particular) the Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council.

RESOLVED: to endorse the proposals set out in the report for the institution of training for members on the duty to promote race equality and commend it to members as a core component of the member skills base.

187/04. INVEST TO SAVE BUDGET BID: IMPROVING THE HOUSING ADAPTATION PROCESS

(Agenda Item 16)

The Executive considered a report (EX16) which considered whether the Council should be the lead organisation, working in partnership with the five PCTs and the five District Councils in Oxfordshire, in an application for funding through an Invest to Save Budget Bid to "Improve the Housing Adaptation Process for Disabled People".

Mrs Stapley reported that the ISB (now called Inclusive Communities) Round 7 had been confirmed following the Chancellor’s Spending Review Statement on 12 July. She further reported that there was £90m available in the bidding fund, but that funding would be conditional on demonstrating that there was a significant element of the project that was genuinely new and not currently going on within the public sector. All projects must also show how they integrated with the priorities of their sponsor.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve in principle the preparation and submission of an Expression of Interest to obtain Inclusive Communities funding to improve the housing adaptation process on the basis outlined in the report;
2. agree in particular an initial County Council contribution of £250,000 on behalf of the Bid partners subject to agreement with District Councils guaranteeing that 50% of that contribution could be reclaimed from savings in the costs which would otherwise have been incurred by those councils before residual savings were utilised by them;
3. authorise the Director for Social & Health Care, in consultation with partners and with the Executive Members for Community Care & Health and Children & Young People:
   
   

1. to approve the Expression of Interest document for submission via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the Treasury and Cabinet Office; and
2. providing that the Expression of Interest was successful, to approve a Full Bid presentation.
   
   

188/04. INTERIM STATEMENT ON INTERNAL CONTROL 2003/04

(Agenda Item 17)

The Executive considered a report (EX17) which proposed an Interim Statement on Internal Control for 2003/04 and outlined the work undertaken to produce the interim statement, looking at how production of the full statement for 2004/05 onwards should be coordinated.

Councillor Brighouse expressed anxiety as to the adequacy of the audit of the Council’s systems and the robustness of the Council’s financial procedures.

The Leader of the Council confirmed that there was a need to strengthen the internal audit process. He stressed the importance of the consultants’ study of the Council’s financial management procedures, due to be reported to the Executive in September.

RESOLVED: to approve the draft Interim Statement on Internal Control 2003/04 for incorporation in the Annual Statement of Accounts.

189/04. LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE: CONSULTATION ON GRANT AMENDMENTS FOR 2003/04 AND 2004/05

(Agenda Item 18)

The Executive considered a report (EX18) which proposed a draft response to the government’s consultation, setting out concerns regarding the way the Census data was used in calculating Oxfordshire’s RSG figures.

Councillor Brighouse spoke in support of the content of the report.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note the concerns set out in the report about the way that 2001 Census data was used in calculating Oxfordshire’s RSG figures;
2. note that the proposals to issue Amending reports increased the uncertainty about Oxfordshire’s RSG figure for 2005/06 and grant payments in that year;
3. endorse the principle that the Government should use all the most up-to-date 2001 Census data and not just some of it;
4. authorise the Leader of the Council to respond to the government’s consultation paper as proposed in Annex B to the report subject, in consultation with the Head of Finance, to amendment in the light of any other technical information that became available before the deadline expired.

190/04. SCHOOL ADMISSION AND EXCLUSION APPEAL PANELS

(Agenda Item 19)

The Executive considered a report (EX19) which reviewed the present allowances in respect of financial loss, travelling and subsistence allowances paid to admission and exclusion appeal panel members and asked the Executive to make recommendations to the full Council to determine revised rates and arrangements for their payment.

RESOLVED: to RECOMMEND the Council:

1. to approve, for school admission and exclusion appeal panel members, the same travel and subsistence allowances as were payable to members of the Council, subject to the same requirements as to the submission of claims and the supply of evidence;
2. to approve an increase to £100 per day in the maximum amount payable to a school admission or exclusion appeal panel member for financial loss necessarily incurred as a result of attendance at an appeal panel hearing, subject to sufficient documentary evidence being produced to identify actual loss; and
3. that the revised allowances and rates be effective from 1 October 2004.
   
   

191/04. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

in the Chair

Date of signing 2004

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