Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 May 2018.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 29 May 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair subject to the following amendments in relation to Minute 5 ‘Portfolio Performance & Resources – Annual Report 2017/18’:-

·         Bullet point eight, the creation of a new bullet point at the start of the fourth sentence, and its amendment to read ‘Specifically in relation to shared services and to work with Stockport Foundation Trust’

·         Bullet point ten, replace the first word of the second sentence with the word ‘Clarification’.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No interests were declared.

RESOLVED – In order to prevent the disclosure of information that was ‘not for publication’, the disclosure of which would not be in the public interest, would not be fair and would be in breach of the Date Protection principles, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following agenda item:-

To consider call-in items (if any)

There were no call-ins to consider.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report presents the draft 2018/19 Agreement for the Reform and Governance Portfolio for consideration and comment by the Committee.

Policy priorities for 2018/19 were set out within the Council Plan, which was adopted at the Budget Council Meeting in February. This incorporates the shared outcomes from the Borough Plan alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet.

These priorities are articulated within the Portfolio Agreements, which form the basis for regular in-year reporting. Portfolio and Corporate Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs and CPRRs) will assess progress against key objectives, priorities, outcomes and budgets, enabling Scrutiny Committees to hold the Cabinet to account and for the Cabinet to identify current and future risks to delivery.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to review and comment on the draft Portfolio Agreement.

Officer contact: Peter Owston / Susan Wood, 0161 474 3274 / 218 1032, peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk / susan.wood@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the draft 2018/19 Agreement for the Portfolio for consideration by the Scrutiny Committee. The agreement articulated the policy priorities for 2018/19 that were set out within the adopted Council Plan, incorporating the shared outcomes from the Borough Plan alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet. The priorities within the Portfolio Agreements would form the basis for regular in-year reporting through the Portfolio and Corporate Performance and Resource Reports, enabling the Scrutiny Committee to hold the Cabinet to account.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         In relation to the narrative for target R&G.03, clarification was sought on whether the proposal was to reduce the target because of under-performance. In response it was stated that because of positive performance the tolerance for ‘amber’ performance had been reduced to stretch the target.

·         Clarification was sought on likely future staff reductions. In response it was stated that there was a residual reduction planned as part of ongoing Corporate and Support Services reform. It was not possible to comment on whether any further reductions may be needed in the future.

·         Further information was requested in relation to plans to regenerate the Hillgate area of the Town Centre. In response it was reported that the Council had a £7m investment programme for the Markets and Underbanks area, supplemented by funding from the Heritage Lottery fund. The challenge for the Council was that many of the properties in the area were in private ownership, thereby limiting the Council’s ability to make improvements. The Council would continue to seek to make the most of the resources it had available.

·         There was often a barrier to engaging with communities by the use of Council jargon. More needs to be done to tailor communications to the audience.

·         Clarification was sought on the levels of outstanding Council Tax. In response it was clarified that the references in the report related to in-year collection rates. It was emphasised that the Council did not cease attempting to collect outstanding Council Tax. The Council had been very successful at collection and the vast majority of residents did pay.

·         Assurance was sought that the Council had sufficient capacity to assess Business Rates liability. In response it was stated that the Council worked hard in this respect but that there would always be room for improvement.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Borough Treasurer be requested to submit a report to a future meeting on Business Rates assessment and recovery.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

This report provides an update on the development of the two year Greater Manchester Strategy Implementation Plan, and provides opportunity for the plan and the actions contained within in to be adopted by each of the GM districts, along with a copy of the GMS performance dashboard.

The 2017 Greater Manchester Strategy (2017 GMS) sets out a commitment to develop an Implementation Plan to detail the specific actions and activities underway to deliver GM’s strategic vision and ambitions. In October 2017, the GMCA approved a six month Implementation Plan and agreed that work should be undertaken to develop a two year Implementation Plan.

As part of our approach to monitoring the impact of the actions being taken to deliver the GMS, the 2017 GMS also set out a commitment to report on progress against a range of high level performance indicators and targets at regular intervals. Work has been undertaken in recent months to develop an easy to understand and interpret performance dashboard.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to review and comment on the GMS Implementation Plan and Performance Dashboard.

Contact officer: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014, holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the development of the two year Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS) Implementation Plan, setting out opportunities for the plan and the actions contained within in to be adopted by each of the Greater Manchester councils, along with a copy of the GMS performance dashboard.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Alexander Ganotis) attended the meeting to respond to questions.

Scrutiny Committee members welcomed the report and the opportunity to have more information about Greater Manchester Combined Authority activity.

Further information was requested in relation to the ‘Wild City’ initiative. In response the Leader of the Council explained that this was a Defra initiative that sought to encourage green improvements to existing infrastructure.

Further information was sought on increasing the availability of electric car charging points. In response the Leader of the Council stated that this was one of the outcomes of the recent Greater Manchester Green Summit and the aspiration was to double the number available. TfGM was exploring the models that might be adopted to stimulate their supply.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

This item covers two reports as follows;

•           Annual Corporate Performance and Resources Report (CPRR) 2017/18

•           Annual Leader’s Report 2017/18

The Annual Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provides an overview of progress in delivering the Council’s Priority Outcomes and budget, with a particular focus on the fourth quarter of 2017/18. It is based on the Council Plan 2017/18 and the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017/20, and also reflects Cabinet Portfolios and priorities. Updates are included on delivery of policy priorities, alongside Growth and Reform Project updates. The report also includes out-turn budget and performance data where this is available, along with an update on the Corporate Risk Register. It is supported by seven Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports, which were considered by the most recent Scrutiny cycle.

The Leader’s Annual Report reflects on highlights and achievements over the last 12 months, along with recent issues at Greater Manchester level, and looks ahead to key challenges in the year ahead.

Both Annual Reports were considered and approved by Cabinet on 12 June.  

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

·         consider the Annual Reports;  

·         review the progress against delivering corporate objectives, key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2017/18;

·         highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·         identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contact: Michael Cullen/  Steve Skelton, 0161 474 4631 / 3174,michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk / steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted two reports (copies of which had been circulated) covering:

·         Annual Corporate Performance and Resources Report (CPRR) 2017/18

·         Annual Leader’s Report 2017/18

The Annual Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provided an overview of progress in delivering the Council’s Priority Outcomes and budget, with a particular focus on the fourth quarter of 2017/18. It was based on the Council Plan 2017/18 and the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017/20, and also reflected Cabinet Portfolios and priorities.  Updates were included on delivery of policy priorities, alongside Growth and Reform Project updates. The report also included out-turn budget and performance data along with an update on the Corporate Risk Register. It was supported by seven Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports which had been considered during the last Scrutiny cycle.

The Leader’s Annual Report reflected on highlights and achievements over the last 12 months at a local and Greater Manchester level, as well as looking ahead to the coming year.

These reports had been considered and approved by the Cabinet on 12 June 2018.  

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Alex Ganotis) attended the meeting to respond to questions.

Concerns were expressed about the operation of the Greater Manchester Business Rates Pool and whether it represented best value for Stockport residents as a sizable portion of revenue was being given to GMCA. In response it was stated that without being part of the pooling arrangement, the Council would give all its business rates growth to the Treasury. Under the Greater Manchester model, more of the growth was retained locally either directly by the Council or for Greater Manchester wide projects.

RESOLVED – That the reports be noted

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of complaints, as at the 4th quarter (January - March). The report also compares complaints received in 2017/18 with the previous year’s complaints.

The Cabinet considered this report at its meeting on 12 June 2018.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:-

·         review performance information contained in this report, and

·         comment on the performance measures reported and suggest any additional information that might be collected in future.

Officer contact: Anwar Majothi, 0161 474 3182, anwar.majothi@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview of complaints, as at the 4th quarter (January - March) 2017/18. The report also compared complaints received in 2017/18 with the previous year’s complaints.

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance (Councillor Elise Wilson) attended the meeting to respond to questions.

It was suggested that future reports should include information about complaints related to vehicle damage and trips.

Councillors welcomed the reporting of complaints information.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Governance

The Council’s Code of Practice for carrying out surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) specifies that quarterly reports will be taken to  the CRMG Scrutiny Committee to demonstrate to elected members that the Council is complying with its own Code of Practice when using RIPA.  This report provides an update in relation to the third and fourth quarter of the 2017-2018 financial year.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider and note this report.

Officer contact: Rosalind Thorpe, 0161 474 3080, rosalind.thorpe@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update in relation to the third and fourth quarters of the 2017-2018 financial year to demonstrate that the Council’s use of directed surveillance and covert human intelligence sources complied with its own Code of Practice when using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The report indicated that there had been no authorisations to use directed surveillance and covert human intelligence sources during this period.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The Council is required through regulations issued under the Local Government Act 2003 to produce an annual treasury report reviewing treasury management activities and the actual prudential and treasury indicators for 2017/18. This report meets the requirements of both the CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management (the Code) and the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (the Prudential Code).

During 2017/18 the minimum reporting requirements were that the full Council should receive the following reports:

·         an annual treasury strategy in advance of the year (Council, 23 February 2017);

·         a mid-year treasury update report (Council, 30 November 2017);

·         an annual report following the year describing the activity compared to the strategy (this report).

In addition, the Cabinet has received quarterly treasury management updates as part of the CPRR Reports on 15 August 2017 (first update report) and 6 February 2018 (final update report).

The regulatory environment places onus on members for the review and scrutiny of treasury management policy and activities.  This report is important in that respect, as it provides details of the outturn position for treasury activities and highlights compliance with the Council’s policies previously approved by Members.

The Council Meeting will be asked to:-

·         Approve the actual 2017/18 prudential and treasury indicators in this report;

·         Note the annual treasury management report for 2017/18;

·         Note that no fundamental changes have been made during 2017/18 to the Treasury Management Policy Statement and Practices approved at the Council meeting on 14 September 2017.  However these will be fully reviewed in light of the requirements of the revised CIPFA Codes published in December 2017 and reported to Members later in 2018/19.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Lorna Soufian, 0161 474 4026, lorna.soufian@stockport.gov.uk

The Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Annual Treasury Report for 2017/18, produced in accordance with applicable CIPFA codes of practice. The report highlighted that the Council had complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements, and set out a series of key prudential and treasury indicators.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Alex Ganotis) attended the meeting to respond to questions.

Councillors commented on the well run treasury management function of the Council.

The ongoing challenges for the Council in managing its investments and borrowing in the current financial climate were emphasised.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

This report highlights the Councils (excluding schools) sickness absence performance at the year end point, (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018).

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to note and comment on the half year outturn of 9.68 days per FTE which meets the Council target of 9.5 to 10.5 days.

Officer contact: Greg McNair, 0161 218 1427, greg.mcnair@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Scrutiny Committee on the Year End (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018) position in terms of sickness absence.

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance (Councillor Elise Wilson) attended the meeting to respond to questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The reductions in the level of absence were encouraging, and there was positive anecdotal evidence of improvements in self-referral to support services.

·         What was being done to equip managers to support their staff? In response it was stated that there was ongoing training available and this also featured in the induction for new staff. Additional resource would be targeted to service areas if a particular problem arose.

·         Performance was more notable given the increasing stress on the workforce.

RESOLVED – That the report be and the half-year outturn of 9.68 days sickness absence per Full Time Equivalent (being within the Council target of 9.5-10.5 days) be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report sets out the agreed process for the selection of scrutiny review topics and an explanation as to how the reviews will be supported.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider possible topics for inclusion in the 2018/19 Scrutiny Work Programme.

Officer Contact: Jonathan Vali, 0161 474 3201, jonathan.vali@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider topics or areas of interest for inclusion in the 2018/19 Scrutiny Work Programme.

RESOLVED – That the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee be informed that this Scrutiny Committee would wish to undertake a review of the governance of Stockport Together.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.               

The report sets out planned agenda items for future meetings of the Committee and Forward Plan items that fall within its remit.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings.

Officer contact: Jonathan Vali; 0161 474 3204, jonathan.vali@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any Forward Plan items that feel within its remit.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to arrange for reports to the Scrutiny Committee on progress with developing Shared and Traded Services.

The Deputy Chief Executive to report at the meeting.

Officer contact: Charlotte Cordingley, 0161-474-4240, charlotte.cordingley@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive provided a verbal update to the Scrutiny Committee in relation to ongoing work to respond to the liquidation of Carillion Plc which was part of the Stockport Property Alliance and with whom the Council had a number of contracts for property related services. The update included further information about the recent Cabinet decisions in respect of the Alliance contract.

RESOLVED – (1) That the update be noted.

(2) That the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to report back to the Scrutiny Committee in September 2018 if required.