Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meetings held on (i) 7 January 2013 and (ii) 14 January 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meetings held on 7 and 14 January 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

No declarations of interest were made.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair and Executive Councillors on any matters within the powers and duties of the Executive, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.  (Questions must be submitted no later than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting on the card provided.  These are available at the meeting and at local libraries and information centres. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions)

NOTE: QUESTIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 3.30PM ON 4 FEBRUARY 2013

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Executive on any matters within its powers and duties, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.

Two questions had been submitted by a member of the public who was not present at the meeting. It was stated that in accordance with the Code of Practice a written response would be provided.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillor (Supporting Communities)

Officer contact: Michael Cullen, 0161 474 4631, michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Executive Councillor (Supporting Communities) and the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the level of increase for rent and service charges for the Housing Revenue Account, the charges for Carecall services and the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2013/14.

Executive Councillors commented that the increase in rents and charges was needed to meet the government requirement for rent convergence, and would allow for significant investment in housing stock and measures to mitigate and assist tenants with benefit changes. Not increasing rents and charges would have a negative impact on the Housing Revenue Account and create significant additional financial pressures in the future.

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) stated that the report had been considered by both the Adults & Communities and Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committees and the Executive would be making a recommendation to the Council Meeting, therefore the decision had been exempted from call-in.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to approve

·         an increase in the average rent of 4.9% for dwelling rents;

·         an increase of 3.1% for garage rents;

·         Service Charges increasing as outlined in paragraph 3.2 of the report;

·         a 3.1% increase in Carecall charges;

·         a 3.1% increase in Warden charges; and

·         the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2013/14 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services)

Officer contact: Laureen Donnan, 0161 474 3180, Laureen.donnan@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Service) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the implications of the Pensions Acts 2008 and specifically the requirement for employees to be automatically enrolled onto pension schemes. The report proposed to use the ‘postponement’ and ‘transition’ facilities, as provided for in the Act and Regulation to defer the implementation from April 2013 until September 2017 due to the financial costs associated with the implementation and the impact on the Human Resources and Payroll functions at a time of transition to new ways of working.

The Leader of the Council reported that the matter had been considered by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee and would be considered by the Council Meeting on 14 February 2013.

It was also emphasised that the Council encouraged all employees to join the appropriate Pension Scheme and deferring implementation of auto-enrolment would not change any employee’s right to join the scheme at any time.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to agree to apply the Transitional Delay and Postponement provisions of the Pensions Act 2008 and February 2012 Regulations as the most cost effective means for the Council to secure compliance with pension auto-enrolment.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services)

The Localism Act 2011 requires every local authority to publish a statement confirming its approach to setting the pay of its employees.  These statements must articulate an authority’s own policies towards a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce, particularly its senior staff and its lowest paid employees.  The attached statement has been prepared as required and will be subject to confirmation by the Council Meeting.

The Executive is invited to recommend that the Council Meeting confirms and agrees to publish the Annual Pay Policy Statement in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

Officer contact: Laureen Donnan, 0161 474 3180, Laureen.donnan@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the Council’s Annual Pay Policy Statement that had been produced as required by the Localism Act 2011. The Statement would be submitted to the Council Meeting for adoption.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to confirm and agree to publish the Annual Pay Policy Statement in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services)

A number of legislative changes around health and council tax support requiring the Council to amend its constitution in anticipation of the new requirements coming into effect from 1 April 2013. These are connected to

·         The establishment of a Health and Wellbeing Board

·         The transfer of Public Health functions to local authorities

·         The new Council Tax Discount and Support Scheme

At the last Council Meeting on 20 December 2012, the proposed changes to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules and the Access to Information Rules (the later in response to new Executive Regulations) were deferred for further consideration by the Constitution Working Party.

The attached report details the further minor amendments to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules and Access to Information Procedure Rules, proposed by the Constitution Working Party at its meeting on 23 January 2013, and the Working Party’s recommendations in respect of the health and council tax support. Individual reports detailing the proposed changes required for each of these themes are also attached.

The Executive Meeting is invited to recommend that the Council Meeting adopt the changes to the Constitution detailed in the reports.

Officer contact: Craig Ainsworth, 0161 474 3204, craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted reports (copies of which had been circulated)  inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposed changes to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules, which had been deferred from the last Council Meeting to allow for further consideration of the proposals by the Constitution Working Party. As a result a number of amendments to the initial proposals had been recommended.

The Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee had also considered the proposals and their comments had been circulated to members of the Executive for information.

RESOLVED – That Council Meeting be recommended to adopt the proposed changes to the Constitution in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules as detailed in the report and as previously circulated, and that in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 24.2 the changes stand adjourned until the next ordinary Council Meeting on 25 April 2013.

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted reports (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposed changes to the Council Constitution arising from the requirement of the Health & Social Care Act 2012 for the Council to establish a Health and Wellbeing Board.

The Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee had also considered the proposals and their comments had been circulated to members of the Executive for information.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to adopt the proposed changes to the Constitution in relation to the Health & Wellbeing Board and to authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group, to make any necessary further amendments that may be required following publication of Regulations.

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted reports (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposed changes to the Council Constitution arising from the Health & Social Care Act 2012 in relation to the transfer of public health functions from Primary Care Trusts to Local Authorities from 1 April 2013.

The Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee had also considered the proposals and their comments had been circulated to members of the Executive for information.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Council Meeting be recommended to approve the changes to the Constitution to reflect the requirements of the Health & Social Care Act 2012 to take into account:-

·         the Council’s new statutory responsibilities in relation to Public Health;

·         the role and responsibilities of the Director of Public Health as part of the Council’s management and governance structure and the proposed changes to the Scheme of Delegation;

·         the implications of the changes on the remit of the Health Scrutiny Committee and the Stockport Partnership.

(2) That the Executive endorses the suggestion of the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee that the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report not be produced as a paper document in order to improve sustainability and to link in with information available through ‘MyStockport’.

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted reports (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposed changes to the Council Constitution arising from the changes to the Council Tax Discount Scheme agreed at the Council Meeting on 20 December 2012.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to adopt the proposed amendments to the Council Constitution’s Scheme of Delegation for the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services in relation to applications for Council Tax discounts, as detailed in the report.