Councillor Holmes, Convener, presided.

A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; L McIntyre, Strategic Planning & Policy Development Manager (Chief Executive’s); K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, A MacArthur, Head of Finance, R McGrath, Head of Customer & Business Services, A Black, Managing Solicitor (Information Governance), G Innes, Customer Service Operations Manager, E Shields, Business Services Manager and A McNaughton, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources in respect of capital expenditure relative to corporate issues (non-property) for the period to 11 November 2016.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

There were submitted the Minutes of the meetings of the Procurement Sub-committee held on 9 and 30 November 2016 and of the special meeting of the Procurement Sub-committee held on 9 January 2017 which form Appendices I - III hereto.

DECIDED: That the Minutes be approved.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Investment Review Board held on 23 November 2016 which forms Appendix IV hereto.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) held on 8 December 2016 which forms Appendix V hereto.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a joint revenue budget monitoring report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance & Resources in respect of the Chief Executive’s, Finance & Resources and miscellaneous expenditure for the period 1 April to 11 November 2016.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That it be noted that since the last report there had been net budget realignments of £380,972 mainly related to the transfer in of the Development & Housing Services finance team, parking income and rates realignments, partially offset by the transfer of the Disclosure Scotland budget to Children and Adult Services.

There was submitted a revenue budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an overview of expenditure on general fund services and the Housing Revenue Account for the period 1 April to 11 November 2016.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an overview of expenditure on the Housing and Non-Housing Capital Programmes for the period 1 April to 11 November 2016.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to performance across key Customer & Business Services functions for the period to 31 December 2016.

The report brought together performance information that had previously been set out in the Revenues Collection Statement; and the Benefits Administration – Welfare Reform & Performance Statement and, as agreed by Council on 15 December 2016, now included a performance update on the customer services provision for the same period.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the estimated funding available during 2017/18 for disbursal from the Paisley and Renfrew Common Good Funds.

The report indicated that income from both Common Good Funds was used to fund ongoing projects and commitments made previously by this Board. In addition, an annual allocation was made to the relevant Local Area Committees with delegated authority to disburse grants to local organisations from whom they received bids for funding and/or to use the funding to support appropriate projects.

A forecast income and expenditure statement for both Common Good Funds, including the cost of recurring projects, was appended to the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the 2017/18 budget allocations to Local Area Committees be approved as follows:

Renfrew Common Good - Renfrew & Gallowhill - £67,360
Paisley Common Good - Renfrew & Gallowhill - £2,000
Paisley Common Good - Paisley North - £13,000
Paisley Common Good - Paisley South - £15,000; and

(b) That the continued funding of recurring projects as outlined in the appendix to the report be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the proposed write off of sundry debtor accounts for over £10,000, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations.

The report indicated that the Council’s procedures for the recovery of debt had been pursued without success. The value of the debt to be written off was £119,429.20.

DECIDED: That the sum of £119,429.20, as detailed in the report, be written off.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the proposed write off of non-domestic rates accounts for sums over £10,000, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations.

The report indicated that the Council’s procedures for the recovery of debt had been pursued without success. The value of the debt to be written off was £118,509.04.

DECIDED: That the sum of £118,509.04, as detailed in the report, be written off.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the proposed write off of Housing Benefit overpayments for sums over £10,000, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations.

The report indicated that the Council’s procedures for the recovery of debt had been pursued without success. The value of the debt to be written off was £91,321.47.

DECIDED: That the sum of £91,321.47, as detailed in the report, be written off.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the outcome of the inspection of the Council’s covert surveillance activities and procedures in late 2016 by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC).

The report explained that the OSC inspection had confirmed that the four recommendations from the earlier 2013 inspection had been discharged and that there was no requirement for any formal recommendations as a result of the 2016 inspection. The inspection had also highlighted six positive aspects of the Council’s procedures and these were detailed within the report.

DECIDED: That the positive outcome of the Office of Surveillance Commissioners inspection be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Provost’s Community Awards and requests for civic hospitality.

The report explained that the budget for the Provost’s Community Awards event was £5,000 having remained unchanged since the establishment of these awards in 2001 and it was now proposed that, in recognition of the 20th anniversary of this event, an additional sum of £6,000 be allocated towards the cost of this year’s ceremony.

The report also detailed requests received for civic hospitality and proposals made, following consultation with the Provost, to deliver appropriate hospitality for each event as follows:

(a) Glynhill Ladies International Curling Championship – for a civic reception on 21 January 2017 in the form of an evening meal at the Glynhill Hotel for approximately 100 guests at a cost of £2,500 to mark their 10th anniversary;

(b) Holocaust Memorial Service - to co-host the Service with East Renfrewshire Council on 24 January 2017 and contribute £1,250 towards the Service (which included participation by Renfrewshire schools and Councillors) and hospitality arrangements

(c) Renfrewshire Seniors Forum – for civic hospitality on 10 March 2017 in the form of afternoon tea for approximately 50 guests in Paisley Town Hall at a cost of approximately £1,000 to mark their 30th anniversary.

(d) Social Work Complaints Review Appeal Panel – for civic hospitality in the form of a lunch at the Glynhill Hotel for approximately 10 guests at an approximate cost of £275 on a date to be arranged in February 2017 to mark the contribution made to the Social Work complaints process by Panel members since 1996, prior to the abolition of the Panel on 1 April 2017.

(e) National Records of Scotland (NRS) – for civic hospitality in the form of a contribution of £1,000 from the 2017/18 budget towards the cost of the Annual Registration Seminar being held in the Glynhill Hotel on 23 November 2017 to mark the NRS seminar’s first visit to Renfrewshire.

(f) The Tannahill/MacDonald Club – for civic hospitality in the form of a finger buffet at Lapwing Lodge on 4 April 2017 for approximately 50 guests at a cost of £750 to mark the bicentenary celebrations of the poet and author Hugh MacDonald who lived and worked in Paisley.

(g) Paisley & District Schools’ Football Association – for civic hospitality in the form of a lunch for approximately 70 guests at St Mirren Stadium on 3 March 2017 at a cost of £1,400 on the occasion of the Under 18s Scotland v England International.

(h) 102 Field Squadron – for civic hospitality in the form of an evening dinner for 120 guests in the Normandy Hotel on 3 March 2017, as part of the Provost’s Community Awards, at a cost of £4,100 to mark the occasion of the Freedom of Renfrewshire conferred on the Squadron by the Council on 15 December 2016.

DECIDED:

(i) That an additional contribution of £6,000 for the 2017 Provost’s Community Awards from the civic hospitality budget be approved;

(ii) That the Director of Finance & Resources, in conjunction with the Provost, be authorised to provide appropriate civic hospitality as detailed within the report, for Renfrewshire Seniors Forum, the Social Work Complaints Review Appeal Panel, National Records of Scotland Registration Seminar, the Tannahill/MacDonald Club, Paisley & District Schools’ Football Association and the 102 Field Squadron; and

(iii) That the action taken by the Director of Finance & Resources, in conjunction with the Provost, to provide civic hospitality for Glynhill Ladies International Curling Championship on 21 January 2017 and to contribute towards the Holocaust Memorial Service on 24 January 2017 be homologated.