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

Councillor McGurk, Convener, presided.

S Black, Chief Executive; S Quinn, Director of Children's Services; M Crearie, Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services; G McNeil, Director of Environment & Infrastructure; A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; L McIntyre, Head of Policy & Commissioning and L Mahon, Head of Communications & Marketing (both Chief Executive's); J Trainer, Head of Childcare & Criminal Justice (Children's Services); O Reid, Head of Communities & Public Protection and C Dalrymple, Communities & Regulatory Manager (both Communities, Housing & Planning Services); K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, L Neary, Head of Transformation, HR & OD, P Murray, Head of ICT, M Conaghan, Legal & Democratic Services Manager and L Belshaw, Democratic Services Manager (all Finance & Resources); D Leese, Chief Officer and S Strachan, Acting Head of Health & Social Care (Paisley) (both Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership); V Hollows Chief Executive (Renfrewshire Leisure); and D Mair, Civil Contingencies Officer, Civil Contingencies Service.

Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener referred to the procedural rules for the operation of the Emergencies Board by Skype which had been issued to members.  Members confirmed that they were happy with the rules for the operation of the Board, which are appended to this Minute.

The Convener intimated that the next scheduled meeting was due to be held on Friday 10 April 2020.  However, as there was a public holiday on that day, the next meeting would instead be held at  11 am on Thursday 9 April 2020.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting would be held at 11 am on Thursday 9 April 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emergencies Board Procedural Rules

Anyone attending a meeting of the Emergencies Board where access to the meeting is through skype must follow some basic rules to allow the meeting to proceed efficiently:

• Could you all begin by turning your microphones to mute.
• Only have your microphone unmuted if you have been invited to speak or you wish to attract my attention.
• Because not everyone will be immediately visible to the Chair, if you wish to speak could you either indicate by typing the letter “Q” in the instant messaging facility or by stating your name clearly through the microphone. Your wish to speak will be noted and you should wait to be invited to speak by the Chair.
• In respect of the Minute, each member of the Board will be asked individually whether they can agree the minute or raise any issue they may have. If they have any matter they wish to raise, the Head of Corporate Governance will be invited to respond. 
• In respect of each other item the chief executive will be invited by the Chair to identify which officer is to speak to the item and the Chair will invite that officer to introduce the item. Each member will be asked individually to indicate whether they can approve the item or if they wish to make a comment or ask a question. If another member or an officer is  able to deal with the query, they will be asked to speak.
• If a vote is necessary, the Chair will ask each member to indicate how they wish to vote.

Minute of meeting of the Emergencies Board held on 27 March 2020.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to  the Council’s current arrangements and response to the ongoing international Coronavirus, Covid-19 pandemic. 

The report intimated that there were now 33,718 confirmed cases of COVID – 19 in the UK up from the 9529 reported to the Board at its meeting held on 27 March 2020. There were 2,921 deaths across the UK (up from 465 in the last report). In Scotland there were now 2,602 confirmed cases (up from 894) and 126 deaths (up from 25). Of these 682 cases were within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Area (up from 258). 

It was noted that in response to this rapidly developing position, the Government had continued the “lock down” for the population.  The report highlighted that, as a key part of the Council and partners' response to the pandemic and to protect and support local residents, a number of nationally-driven legislative and operational issues had been the focus during the week following the last meeting of the Board, including the re-deployment of Council officers as appropriate, and these were outlined within the report. The Board then heard from the Chief Executive and the Head of Policy & Commissioning in relation to support for shielded residents; from the Director of Finance & Resources in relation to funding and the overall financial implications for the Council; and  community and business financial support;  from the Chief Officer, Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership in relation to testing arrangements for front line medical staff; and from the Head of Communities & Public Protection in relation to the community safety and wellbeing.

DECIDED:

(a) That the current national and local situation with regards to Covid-19 and the current plans and guidance from both the UK and Scottish Governments be noted;

(b) That the current position and response measures being put in place by the Council be noted;

(c) That it be noted that that most of the provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 were now in force and further noted that the Scottish Parliament had approved two significant pieces of legislation (i) The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020; and (ii) The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, details of which were provided in paragraphs 3.3 – 3.9 of the report; and 

 

 

(d) That the Council's Scheme of Delegated Functions be amended to include include the authorisation of Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards Officers and their managers as relevant persons under the Heath Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 as made under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Under reference to item 1 of the Minute of the meeting of the Board held on 20 March 2020, when it was agreed that in relation to regulatory and quasi-judicial matters the Head of Corporate Governance would develop a procedure involving the Conveners of the relevant Boards being consulted to enable the Board to consider whether it wished to decide the matter instead of officers, there was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a revised process in relation to consideration of some licensing applications. 

The report intimated that the Scottish Government had published the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill on 31 March 2020. Whilst the Bill made a number of changes to licensing practice under the terms of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, a number of other emergency measures still remained to be implemented to ensure that the Council was able to meet its statutory obligations in relation to the determination of licence applications. The report outlined proposals to change policies and procedures to deal with some licensing applications in the absence of meetings of the Regulatory Functions Board.

It was proposed that consideration of the report be continued to the next meeting of the Board to allow for further discussion with the Convener and Depute Convener of the Regulatory Functions Board, other members and officers.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: That consideration of the report be continued to the next meeting of the Board.

The Board resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present, there could be disclosure to them of confidential information.