Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2015 be approved as a correct record.

None.

Councillor Ross Houston declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 11 Fees and Charges 2015-16, as he is a Council appointed representative on the Board of The Barnet Group Ltd.

None.

None.

None.

The Committee considered the report.

RESOLVED – That the Committee

1.    Approve the continued use of existing independent Mental Health Assessors until a procurement exercise has been completed up to the value of £286,000 for year 2015/16 until a procurement has been completed

2.    Approve the recruitment of new independent Mental Health Assessors & Best Interest Assessors until a procurement exercise has been completed up to the value of £60,360 for year 2015/16 until a procurement is completed

3.    Authorise a variation to the contract with Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Consortium for Independent Mental Capacity Advisor (IMCA) & Independent Mental Health Advisor (IMHA) up to the value £40,000pa for the 2 remaining years of contract commencing 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2017.

The Committee considered the report and the information in the accompanying exempt report.

Officers were requested to amend references to ’within 24 hours’ in Appendix 1 to clarify that this refers to ‘within 1 working day’, and to change references to a ‘fast track’ service to a ‘premium’ service.

RESOLVED - That

1.    The Committee approve the proposed additional planning services pilot to run until 31^st March 2016 and the associated charges (detailed in Appendix 1, as amended), noting that a pre-application meeting will be arranged within 2 weeks and advice provided 3 weeks following that in the normal course of events as per the current regime.

2.    The results of the pilot are reported back to the Committee in the event officers recommend that the additional planning services are implemented fully on a permanent basis.

The committee considered the report.

The Commissioning Director (Adults and Health) recommended additions to recommendations 1 and 3 to make reference to paragraph 1.17 in the report, which was agreed to by the committee.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the Committee approve the entry into a pooled budget with NHS Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group for the requirements of the Better Care Fund from April 2015, based on the contents set out in paragraphs 1.17 and 1.18 of this report.

2.    That the Committee delegate authority to the Adults and Health Commissioning Director to finalise the operational arrangements for the Better Care Fund 2015-2016 pooled budget with NHS Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group.

3.    That the Committee delegate authority to the Adults and Health Commissioning Director to execute a new schedule to the section 75 agreement for Integrated Care and a Deed of Variation to initiate the pooled fund arrangement, based on the contents set out in paragraphs 1.17 and 1.18 of this report.

The Committee considered the report.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the decisions of the Adults and Communities Director on 6 February 2015, as detailed below be noted:

a.    That the Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee agree a waiver of the Contract Procedure Rules is to vary the contract with the Fremantle Trust from 2^nd February 2015 to 10^th May 2015.

b.    That the Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee agree a waiver of the Contract Procedure Rules is to vary the contract with Age UK Barnet from 2^nd February 2015 to 10^th May 2015.

The Committee considered the report.

Following discussion of the report, the Chairman moved to a vote. The votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED –

1.    That the Policy and Resources Committee consider the proposed fees and charges as detailed in Appendix A and approve them for implementation from 1 April 2015, or as soon as possible thereafter.

2.    That the Policy and Resources Committee endorses the recommendations (as set out in paragraphs 5.3.12 to 5.3.14 of this report) from Adults and Safeguarding Committee of 26 January 2015 and 19 March 2015 on the setting of fees and charges.

3.    That the Policy and Resources Committee note the charges for Regeneration & Housing Development within Appendix A are for noting only not formal approval.

4.    That Policy & Resources Committee note the updated Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) price schedule for leisure centres within Appendix A  taking effect from 1 April 2015

Immediately following the decision, four members of the Committee supported a referral of the decision to Council. The reason given for the referral was concern at the number of new charges significantly above the level of inflation.

RESOLVED – That the item be referred to Full Council.

The Committee considered the report.

Following discussion of the report, the Chairman moved to a vote. The votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED –

1.    That the Committee comment on and approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2015 – 2020. 

2.    That authority to finalise the draft Corporate Plan is delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of Council, for final amendments before the Corporate Plan is recommended to Council for approval on 14 April 2015. 

The Committee considered the report.

RESOLVED –

That the Policy & Resources Committee approve the proposed direction and  design of a new 0-25 Disability Service as set out in the report , which incorporates the outcomes described in the Children, Education, Libraries & Safeguarding and Adults and Safeguarding Committees’ commissioning plans

The Committee considered the report and the accompanying exempt report.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the decisions of the Urgency Committee on 29^th January 2015, as detailed below be noted:

a.    That the Committee approve the sale by currency auction of the investment balance held in escrow from the insolvent estate of the Icelandic bank Glitnir hf., subject to receipt of a bid price that is acceptable to the Council.

b.    That the Section 151 officer be instructed to agree the reserve price with the Local Government Association in accordance with the recommendation in the exempt report and to sell the Council’s remaining interest in the insolvent estate of the Icelandic bank Glitnir hf. and to report on the proceeds of sale to next Policy and Resources Committee.

The Committee considered the report.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the decisions of the Urgency Committee on 29^th January 2015, as detailed below be noted:

a.    That the recommendation of the London Councils Leaders’ Committee for an overall level of expenditure of £10,500,000 in 2015/16, involving total borough contributions of £9,000,000 and a levy on Barnet of £394,666, be approved.

b.    That the Deputy Director of Finance & Deputy Chief Operating Officer be instructed to inform the Chief Executive of London Councils accordingly.

The Committee considered the report and the accompanying exempt report.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the decisions of the Urgency Committee on 26^th February 2015, as detailed below be noted:

a.    approve the changes to the terms of the Co-operation Agreement and CRL Share Purchase Agreement (as considered and approved by CRC in January 2014) as set out in Section 2 of this report and associated increased acquisition costs and capital budget to be approved for these agreements;

b.    authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council to agree the detail of the Co-operation Agreement and CRL Share Purchase Agreement;

The Committee noted the report. It was noted that the Policy and Resources Committee meeting of 5 May 2015 had been cancelled and the business for the meeting re-scheduled.

The Chairman moved a motion, which was duly seconded by Councillor Daniel Thomas, that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended).

The Committee;

RESOLVED - That the information contained in the exempt report be noted.

The Committee;

RESOLVED - That the information contained in the exempt report be noted.

The Committee;

RESOLVED - That the information contained in the exempt report be noted.