Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2012.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 2 July 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interest

Disclosable Pecuniary Interest

There were no items to consider.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services.

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 2012/13. 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).

The report will be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 13 August and the Council Meeting on 12 September 2013.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Lorna Salvage, telephone 0161 474 4026, email: lorna.salvage@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services submitted the Annual Report (copies of which had been circulated) in relation to Treasury Management.

The Council was 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 2012/13. The report met 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).

It was reported that the Executive would consider the report at its meeting on 13 August and the Council Meeting on 12 September 2013.

The Scrutiny Committee noted that it was intended to provide training in relation to Treasury Management to members of this committee and the Executive prior to the reporting cycle to develop the 2014/15 Treasury Strategy.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services be requested to amend paragraph 7.2 of the report to remove the word “coalition” from the first sentence prior to submission to the Executive.

At the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee, it was agreed that the annual summary of statistics on the complaints made to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) relating to Stockport Council for the year ended 31 March 2013 be submitted to this meeting.

Attached is the Annual Review Letter received on 16 July 2013 from the Local Government Ombudsman

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to note the Annual Review Letter.

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

The Democratic Services Manager reported that at the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee, it was agreed that the annual summary of statistics on the complaints made to the Local Government Ombudsman relating to Stockport Council for the year ended 31 March 2013 be submitted to this meeting.

The Annual Review Letter received on 16 July 2013 from the Local Government Ombudsman (copies of which had been circulated) was considered.

RESOLVED – That the Annual Review Letter be noted and the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services be requested to continue to include within the Corporate Complaints Report details of complaints made to the Local Government Ombudsman.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services.

The report contains the response to the recommendations of this Scrutiny Committee’s review into how the Council can best prepare for the introduction of Universal Credit when the programme is rolled out to all authorities.

Universal Credit was formally announced in the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

A response to each of the recommendations together with timescales for completion of the various actions in contained in the report. A number of these actions have already been – or are in the process of being – implemented.

The Executive at its meeting on 16 July, approved the response to the ‘Preparing for the introduction of the Universal Credit Regime’ Scrutiny Review and expressed its gratitude and appreciation for the work undertaken by members of the scrutiny review panel and the supporting staff involved in conducting the review.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to note the Executive’s response.

Officer contact: Alison Blount, telephone number 0161 474 5107, email: Alison.blount@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Executive’s response to the “Preparing for the introduction of the Universal Credit Regime” Scrutiny Review adopted by the Executive at its meeting on 16 July 2013.

The Executive Leader and Portfolio holder for Policy, Reform & Finance (Councillor Sue Derbyshire) on behalf of the Deputy Executive Leader and Portfolio holder for Corporate, Customer and Community Services (Councillor Mark Weldon) attended the meeting to answer member’s questions.

RESOLVED – That the Executive’s response be noted.

The Adult Care Services and Housing Scrutiny Committee; and Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee agreed to carry out a joint scrutiny review on the impact of Welfare Reform.

Welfare Reform is a wide ranging issue that cuts across portfolios and has implications for a range of council services and partner agencies. The decision to carry out a joint scrutiny review will enable co-ordinated and holistic consideration of the impact of welfare changes.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         Give approval to the arrangements for the conduct of the scrutiny review as set out in the report.

·         Appoint members to a Joint Scrutiny Review Panel to scope and carry out the Scrutiny Review on Tackling Inequality.

·         Appoint a Chair / or joint Chairs of the Joint Panel

·         Agree a date for the first meeting of the Joint Review Panel.

Officer contact: Gaynor Alexander on 474 3184 or email: gaynor.alexander@stockport.gov.uk

It was reported that the Council Meeting had agreed to the Adult Care Services and Housing Scrutiny Committee and Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee carrying out a joint scrutiny review on the impact of Welfare Reform.

The Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services submitted a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy, Policy, Partnerships & Transformation) (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider the arrangements to carry out the Review.

The Chair reported that the Adult Care Services and Housing Scrutiny Committee had appointed Councillors Kevin Dowling, June Somekh and Wendy Wild to the Joint Review Panel.

RESOLVED – (1) That the following members of this Scrutiny Committee be appointed to the Joint Review Panel:

Councillor Paul Bellis

Councillor Kate Butler

Councillor Peter Burns

Councillor Alexander Ganotis

Councillor Suzanne Wyatt

(2) That Councillor Alexander Ganotis be appointed Lead Member for the Review.

(3) That the Democratic Services Manager, in consultation with the Lead Member be requested to make arrangements for the first meeting of the Joint Review Panel.

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: Craig Ainsworth, Democratic Services Manager, telephone number 474 3204, email: craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned items for the Scrutiny Committee’s future meetings and Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.