Best Value and Corporate Services Committee

Thursday 3 November 2005 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Councillors Fyfe, Hill, Hunter, McCabe, McCormick (M), McCormick (P), Moran, Nimmo, Snoddy and Stewart.

Chair:  Councillor Snoddy presided. 

In attendance:  Chief Financial Officer, Solicitor to the Council, Head of ICT Services, Head of Performance Management & Policy Development, Ms B McQuarrie (for Head of Personnel Services), Head of Property Services, Head of Revenues & Customer Centres, Head of Transportation & Roads Service and Mr H McNeilly, Managing Solicitor (Litigation/Advice).

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

884

Transportation & Roads Trading Account - Business Plan 2005/06 to 2008/09

884

There was submitted a report dated 2 November 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on a remit from the Environment & Regeneration Committee of 1 November 2005 seeking approval of the Transportation & Roads Trading Account - Business Plan 2005/06 to 2008/09.

Decided:  that the Transportation & Roads Trading Account - Business Plan 2005/06 to 2008/09 be approved.

885

Performance Management Framework:  Quarterly Update

885

There was submitted a report dated 14 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on the Performance Management Framework for Corporate Services for the quarter ended 30 September 2005.

Decided:  that the key performance measures set out in appendix 1 to the report be noted.

886

Statutory Performance Indicators 2004/05

886

There was submitted a report dated October 2005 by the Chief Executive (1) on the audited statutory performance indicators for 2004/05 and (2) providing a comparison against the Council's performance in 2003/04.

Decided:  that the Committee note the statutory performance indicators for 2004/05 and the responses given in relation to individual indicators.

887

Investors in People:  Roll Out to All Services Within the Council

887

There was submitted a report dated 13 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services seeking approval to adopt the Investors in People (IIP) programme and gain IIP status by implementing a roll out programme for Council Services over the next two to three years.

Ms McQuarrie advised the Committee that the Director of Education  Services was intending to seek charter status for all schools and educational establishments although Education Headquarters would participate in the IIP roll out programme.ò

Decided:

(1)      that approval be given to the adoption of the Investors in People Programme as a Council Strategy;  and

(2)      that it be remitted to the Head of Personnel Services to submit progress reports on implementation of the roll out programme on a 6 monthly basis.

888

Revenue Budget 2005/06 - Period 6

888

There was submitted a report dated 7 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 2005/06 as at Period 6 (30 September 2005) which showed a projected budget underspend of £618,000, a £587,000 increase in the underspend since the last report to the Committee.

Noted

889

Annual Insurance Fund Performance to 30 September 2005

889

There was submitted a report dated 6 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on the performance of the Council's Insurance Fund for the year ended 30 September 2005.

Noted

890

Revenues Section Performance - 1 April to 30 September 2005

890

There was submitted a report dated 13 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on the Council Tax and Rates Performance for the period 1 April to 30 September 2005.  There was circulated to the Committee, amended appendix 2 to the report.

Decided:

(1)      that the Committee note the continued improvement in Council Tax collection;  and

(2)      that the report be otherwise noted.

891

Treasury Management Monitoring Report - Second Quarter 2005/06

891

There was submitted a report dated 6 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on matters relating to the Treasury Management function during the second quarter of 2005/06.

Noted

892

Benefits Service Performance 2005/06

892

There was submitted a report dated 10 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on (1) the processing performance of the Benefits Service for the quarter ended 30 September 2005 which showed a continued improvement in performance and (2) providing information on (a) the level of work in progress within the Service, (b) the current position in respect of the Council Tax benefit take-up exercise and (c) the progress made in the National Fraud Initiative matching exercise.

Noted

893

Customer Services Centre - Wallace Place, Greenock

893

There was submitted a report dated 3 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services (1) seeking approval to proceed with the creation of a Customer Services Centre within Greenock and (2) advising the Committee of the options available, taking into account the financial and operational impacts in each case.

Decided:

(1)      that commitment to the provision of a Customer Services Centre be affirmed;  and

(2)      that it be remitted to the Corporate Management Team to re-examine the options set out in the report within the context of the wider use of the Municipal Buildings and adjacent properties with a view to ensuring that the Council is achieving Best Value and that a report thereon be submitted to the Committee as soon as possible.

894

Housing Benefit Control Team - Performance 2004/05

894

There was submitted a report dated 5 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services providing management performance information for the Council's Benefit Control Team and its anti-fraud work during the financial year 2004/05.

Noted

895

ICT Capital Programme

895

There was submitted a report dated 14 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services on the status of the 2005/08 ICT Capital Programme.

Noted

896

Birkmyre Pavilion, Kilmacolm

896

It was noted that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda.

It was agreed in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

897

Use of Powers Delegated to the Chief Executive

897

There was submitted a report dated 17 October 2005 by the Director of Corporate Services advising of the use of the powers delegated to the Chief Executive since the last ordinary meeting of the Committee to authorise (1) the issue of tenders to specialist consultants to provide services to re-register approximately 4,500 Inverclyde Council housing waiting list applicants, (2) the issue of tenders to consultants to provide independent employee advice during the Council's proposed stock transfer process, (3) the issue of tenders to specialist consultants for the BNSF road lighting design, (4) the issue of tenders to specialist suppliers for the supply, support and maintenance of BS766 compliant gazetteer management software to hold the Corporate Address Gazetteer, (5) the issue of tenders to approved suppliers listed in the Authorities Buying Consortium directory for the ICT PC Procurement for Education and (6) the issue of tenders to specialist suppliers for the supply, support and maintenance of a Service Desk Software Package for ICT Services.

Noted

898

Planning Supervisor (Prudential Schools Project) - Approval to Use Specialist Consultants

898

There was submitted a report dated October 2005 by the Depute Chief Executive requesting the Committee to homologate the issue of tenders to specialist consultants for Planning Supervisor Services in connection with the Council's Capital Programme (Prudential Schools Project).

Decided:  that the Committee homologate the decision to issue tenders to the consultants detailed in the report.