Agenda and draft minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2014 be approved.

An apology for absence had been received from Councillor McGuirk who was being substituted for by Councillor Geoff Johnson.

None.

Details are appended of the questions asked of and the answers given by the Chairman.  Verbal responses were given to supplementary questions at the meeting.

None.

Cabinet 2 April 2014

Cabinet Resources Committee 2 April 2014; or

Any action taken by Cabinet Member(s) and /or Directors/Chief Officers under delegated powers (Executive Functions)

The Committee received public comments from Ms Sarah Sackman and Ms Kristine Canavan in relation to the call-in below.

The Committee considered the following decision of the Cabinet Resources Committee meeting held on 2 April 2014 and asked questions of the Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families in respect of the following:

Following consideration of the call-in, the Committee decided to refer the decision back to Cabinet Resources Committee for reconsideration.

RESOLVED that decision 1.1.2 (The 10 Short Breaks contracts to be varied and extended for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 up to the value of £603,955) taken by the Cabinet Resources Committee on 2 April 2014 be referred back to the decision maker for reconsideration for the following reasons:

·         That the Cabinet Resources Committee be requested to reconsider the variation to funding of the 10 Short Breaks providers, including Mapledown School.

·         That the Cabinet Resources Committee give consideration to using Public Health funding to enable the continuation of short breaks services at Mapledown School.

RESOLVED that officers be requested to circulate to the Committee details of the proposals to reduce funding for Short Breaks services (including details of the consultation responses and details of the Equalities Impact Assessments) approved as part of the Council’s decision on the 2014/15 – 2015/16 budget.

The Committee were advised that there were no meetings of the Cabinet Resources Committee were scheduled to take place before the Annual Council meeting on 2 June 2014 when a new committee system form of governance would come into effect.  As the Cabinet Resources Committee, Business Management Overview & Scrutiny Committee and call-in procedure would be abolished with the implementation of the new system, the Overview & Scrutiny Manager advised Members that he would seek advice from the Monitoring Officer and Head of Governance on the appropriate decision path for the reference back and would report back to the Committee in due course. 

None.

RESOLVED that:

1.     the Committee endorse the Overview and Scrutiny Report 2013/14 for onward referral to Council.

RESOLVED that:

1.         the Committee approve the arrangements for referring recommendations made by Task & Finish Groups and Overview & Scrutiny Panels to theme committees in the new committee system form of governance effective from 2 June 2014

2.         the Committee recommend to the Constitution, Ethics and Probity Committee that the committee system form of governance retains a provision that the new theme committees can commission time-limited working groups to review specific issues to inform policy and/or commissioning decisions.

RESOLVED that:

1.         the Committee note the Forward Work Programme.

2.         officers be requested to refer the outstanding item on the Skills, Employment and Enterprise Action Plan to the appropriate theme committee.

None.

The Committee thanked the Chairman, Councillor Hugh Rayner, for his chairmanship during the 2013/14 municipal year.  The Committee also thanked the scrutiny support officers for their efforts in supporting committees, task & finish groups and overview & scrutiny panels.