Documents
Agenda
Standard Items
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Present
Councillors Bibby, Audrey Doig, Gilmour, Grady, Harte, Henry, Lawson, K MacLaren, M MacLaren, Murrin, Noon and Williams
Chair
Councillor Holmes, Convener, presided.
In Attendance
A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; and K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, A MacArthur, Head of Finance, D Marshall, Head of HR & Organisational Development, M Carberry, Head of Reform & Change Management, C Donnelly, HR & Organisational Development Manager, E Shields, Operational Services Manager, H Syme, Solicitor (Information Management) and A McNaughton, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Corporate Services).
Items Of Business
Apologies
Apologies from members.
Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest.
There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting
Minutes of the meetings of the Procurement Sub Committee held on (a) 13 May and (b) 3 June 2015.
1
There were submitted the Minutes of the meetings of the Procurement Sub Committee held on 13 May and 3 June 2015 which formed Appendices I and II hereto.
DECIDED: That the Minutes be approved.
Minute of the meeting of the Investment Review Board held on 3 June 2015.
2
There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Investment Review Board held on 3 June 2015, which formed Appendix III hereto.
DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.
Minute of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) held on 21 May 2015.
3
There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Consultative Board: Non Teaching held on 21 May 2015, which formed Appendix IV hereto.
DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.
Joint report by the Chief Executive and Director of Finance & Resouces.
4
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 service, Finance & Resources and miscellaneous expenditure for the period to 26 June 2015.
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 (£56,008) mainly related to the transfer of Children and Young People Act funding to Education and Children’s Services and the impact of Council approval for payment of the Living Wage, partially offset by a number of minor transfers in relation to previous agreed savings and the reallocation of Business Support funding.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
5
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 to 26 June 2015.
DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
6
There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources in respect of capital expenditure relative to corporate projects (non-property) for the period to 26 June 2015.
DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
7
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 to 26 June 2015.
DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
8
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the collection of Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates for the period to 28 July 2015 and detailing the total amount collected from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2015.
DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources
9
There was submitted a progress report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the delivery of housing benefit and the Scottish Welfare Fund, for the period to 31 July 2015. The appendix to the report detailed performance of the service against a range of indicators.
The report also provided an update on funding and expenditure in relation to Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund and included information about the recent risk assessment of Housing Benefits administration carried out by Audit Scotland.
It was proposed (a) that the Board note the pressure on the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments; (b) in recognition of this, that the Board approve an additional £100,000 and £180,000 to be allocated from existing welfare reform resources to the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments respectively; and (c) that the Board also agree that the Convener make representation to the Scottish and UK Governments seeking re-imbursement of these funds. This was agreed.
DECIDED:
(a) That the pressure on the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments be noted;
(b) That, in recognition of this pressure, approval be granted to add an additional £100,000 and £180,000 from existing welfare reform resources to the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments respectively; and
(c) That the Convener be authorised to make representation to the Scottish and UK Governments seeking re-imbursement of these funds.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
10
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the proposed write off of a sundry debtor account for over £10,000, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations.
The report indicated that the Council’s procedures for the recovery of the debt had been pursued without success. The value of the debt to be written off was £23,707.95.
DECIDED: That the sum of £23,797.95, as detailed in the report, be written off.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources
11
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Annual Efficiency Statement 2014/15. The statement appended to the report summarised efficiency activity and savings achieved during 2014/15.
DECIDED: That the Annual Efficiency Statement 2014/15, a copy of which was appended to the report, be approved.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources
12
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to consultation by the Scottish Government on the regulations and statutory guidance for the delivery of social welfare funds by local authorities in compliance with the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015.
The proposed response to the consultation was attached to the report as Appendix 1.
DECIDED: That the response to the consultation on regulations and statutory guidance for delivery of welfare funds, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
13
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 that came into force on 18 July 2015.
The Regulations implemented the revised European Directive on the Re-use of Public Sector Information and replaced the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.
The report summarised the provisions and exemptions of the 2015 Regulations, which retained a protection for personal data and set out a procedure to deal with requests for re-use of information.
DECIDED:
(a) That the report be noted;
(b) That the Information Governance Team (Legal & Democratic Services) be authorised to establish procedures, including an internal complaints process, to meet the requirements of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015; and
(c) That responsibility for dealing with internal complaints be delegated to the Managing Solicitor (Information Governance) who was also responsible for handling internal reviews under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
14
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a review of the Data Sharing Code. The code required to be updated at least every three years.
The report explained that the Council, for a number of reasons, was required to disclose data to third party organisation(s) and to share data between different Council services and, in order to manage this effectively, had in place a Data Sharing Code based on guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office. The code explained how the Data Protection Act 1998 applied to the disclosure and sharing of personal data and provided good practice advice for employees.
The code, introduced in 2012, had now been reviewed and minor updates were set out in the appendix to the report and included revision of the current arrangements for information governance within the Council; more detail about the application of Privacy Impact Assessments; and an appendix of Data Standards.
DECIDED:
(a) That the revised Data Sharing Code, as set out in the appendix to the report, be approved;
(b) That it be agreed that the Data Sharing Code be reviewed on a three-yearly basis by the Information Governance team (Finance & Resources) and approved by the Data Protection Working Group; and
(c) That it be noted that an earlier review would be carried out should any legislative change require it, or should new guidance be received from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
15
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to public holidays for Renfrewshire Council employees in 2016. The proposed holidays followed the pattern set over previous years.
DECIDED: That the public holidays in 2016 for Renfrewshire Council employees, detailed in the appendix to the report, be approved.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources
16
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to applications for funding from the Renfrew Burgh Citizens Fund and the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund.
The report advised that the Renfrew & Gallowhill Local Area Committee had recommended that Renfrew Development Trust be awarded £20,000 from the Renfrew Burgh Citizens Fund to help build community capacity and regenerate Renfrew town centre.
The report also advised that the Johnstone & The Villages Local Area Committee had recommended that (a) Kilbarchan Singers be awarded £3,000 from the Kilbarchan element of the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund towards the cost of music and securing assistance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for a season; and (b) that an award of £6,000 also from the Kilbarchan element of the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund be provided to erect a memorial cairn, park bench and interpretive board on Low Green, Kilbarchan, in recognition of Kilbarchan-born, radical visionary Mary Barbour.
DECIDED:
(a) That £20,000 be awarded to Renfrew Development Trust from the Renfrew Burgh Citizens Fund;
(b) That £3,000 be awarded to Kilbarchan Singers from the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund; and
(c) That £6,000 be provided from the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund to create a memorial on Low Green, Kilbarchan in recognition of Mary Barbour.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
17
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the relocation of the Renfrew 600 tapestry from Renfrew Town Hall to the intu Braehead shopping centre given that there was no suitable area to display the tapestry within the refurbished town hall.
The cost of transporting and hanging the tapestry in a suitable protective case was approximately £15,140.
DECIDED: That £15,140 be allocated from the Renfrew Common Good Fund towards the cost of relocating the Renfrew 600 tapestry to the into Braehead shopping centre.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
18
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an invitation from Commodore Bryant, Director General of Seafarers UK and Captain J Sail, National Chairman, Merchant Navy Association, to fly the Merchant Navy flag (the Red Ensign) at Council offices on 3 September 2015 to commemorate Merchant Navy Day.
DECIDED:
(a) That the Council participate in Merchant Navy Day by flying the Red Ensign at Renfrewshire House on 3 September 2015 and annually thereafter; and
(b) That should 3 September fall on a weekend, the flag be raised on the preceding Friday in September.
Report by the Director of Finance & Resources.
19
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to requests received for civic hospitality as undernoted:
(a) Paisley Art Institute – for civic hospitality in the form of a drinks reception with canapés for 300 people at Paisley Museum on 2 October 2015 at an estimated cost of £2,500 to mark two centenaries at the opening of their 127th Annual Exhibition;
(b) Chartered Trading Standards Institute Scotland– for civic hospitality in the form of a drinks reception at their annual conference being held in the Glynhill Hotel at an estimated cost of £400 to mark the centenary of the opening of their Scottish branch;
(c) Erskine Hospital – for civic hospitality by hosting a table for 10 at the 2015 annual Charity Ball at a cost of £800;
(d) Renfrew Over-50’s Swimming Club – for civic hospitality in the form of a buffet lunch for 100 people in Renfrew Town Hall on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary at an estimated cost of £1,600; and
(e) International Federation of Social Workers Europe (IFSW) – for civic hospitality in the form of a contribution of £1,000 toward the cost of a lunch for delegates at the Older People's workshop in Paisley being held as part of the 2015 IFSW European Conference and Social Work Expo event in Edinburgh.
DECIDED:
(i) That approval be granted to: provide civic hospitality to Paisley Art Institute; the Chartered Trading Standards Institute Scotland and Renfrew Over-50’s Club; take a table at the 2015 Erskine Ball and contribute £1,000 towards the cost of a lunch for delegates to the IFSW Older People’s workshop event in Paisley; and
(ii) That it be delegated to the Director of Finance & Resources, in consultation with the Provost, to make the necessary arrangements.
Attendance
Declarations of Interests
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No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.
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