Agenda and minutes

The Committee noted the apologies of Councillor Dr Paffey, Revd Williams and Mrs Topp.

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2014 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 16 October 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Minute 24 – Strengthening Political Scrutiny of Children and Families

The Committee noted that following the agreement to establish the Children and Families Scrutiny Panel, terms of reference would be produced and presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting scheduled for 4^th December 2014 and the new Panel would commence in the New Year.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive, detailing items requested for discussion from the current Forward Plan.

Items include:-

• To Extend the Waste Disposal Contract with Veolia until 2030 (Appendix 1, 2 and Confidential Appendix 3);
• General Fund Revenue Budget 2015/16 to 2017/18 (Appendix 4);
• The Future Transformation of the Southampton Library Service (Appendix 5); and
• Safe City and Youth Justice Strategies 2014-2017 (Appendix 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10).

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing the items requested for discussion from the current Forward Plan.

Mrs MacGillivray (Friends of Cobbett Road Library) was present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:-

  (i)  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “To Extend the Waste Disposal Contract with Veolia until 2030” the Committee recommended that a briefing note be circulated, outlining the substantial modifications the Council’s Ethical Procurement Policy had made since it had been introduced.

  (ii)  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “General Fund Revenue Budget 2015/16 to 2017/18” the Committee recommended:-

a)  the Cabinet Member for Resources and Leisure be requested to consider the impact of the proposed £1m reduction in agency spend, overtime and vacancy management in order to determine whether it should be located in the service reduction column rather than the efficiency column;

b)  officers be requested to circulate details of the Council’s expenditure on outside consultants for 2014/15 to the Committee;

c)  officers be requested to circulate a briefing note clarifying the Council’s position on highways expenditure to the Committee; and

d)  officers be requested to clarify whether the Street lighting PFI contract had required support from the Risk Fund.

 (iii)  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “The Future Transformation of the Southampton Library Service” the Committee recommended:-

a)  the Cabinet Member for Resources and Leisure be requested to consider how the Estate Regeneration Programme could be utilised to help support and transform the Library Service;

b)  the Cabinet Member for Resources and Leisure be requested to consider re-wording the recommendations within the Cabinet Report by removing the reference to a preferred option and broadening the approach to ensure that all options were considered;

c)  the Cabinet Member for Resources and Leisure be requested to consider how qualitative information could be factored into the decision making process;

d)  when consulting on the future of the Library Service, the Cabinet Member for Resources and Leisure be requested to consider opportunities for shared services, collaboration with other partners and alternative delivery models; and

e)  officers be requested to ensure that potential alternative providers of Library Services, including businesses who could benefit from the library footfall, were informed of the Council’s consultation process on “The Future Transformation of the Southampton Library Service”.

 (iv)  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “Safe City and Youth Justice Strategies 2014-2017” the Committee recommended:-

a)  officers be requested to circulate information identifying how Southampton compared with its statistical neighbours in relation to the percentage of young people involved with the Youth Offending Service who were NEET (Not in full-time Education, Employment or Training); and

b)  officers be requested to circulate a list of Southampton based organisations that had received grant funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to the Committee.

The Committee received and noted the report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing the actions of the Executive and monitoring progress of the recommendations of the Committee.