POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

TUESDAY 18 MARCH 1997 - 3.00 pm

Present:- Provost Allan, Councillors Calvert, Clocherty, O'Rourke, Jackson, McGhee, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Mitchell and Finnie, Councillor Mulholland, Convener, in the Chair.

In Attendance:- The Chief Executive, the Depute Chief Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration), the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development), the Director of Central Services, Mr H McNeilly (for the Director of Legal Services), the Director of Finance, the Director of Education Services, the Director of Property and Technical Services, the Director of Leisure and Recreation, the Director of Social Work, the Director of Housing and Customer Services, the Director of Personnel Services and the Chief Consumer Protection and Trading Standards Officer.

An apology for absence was intimated on behalf of Councillor Morrison (M).

348

REVENUE BUDGET 1996/97

348

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 February 1997 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 1996/97 for the Chief Executive's Department as at 1 January 1997.

DECIDED:

(a) That the current position of the Revenue Budget 1996/97 be noted; and

(b) That the Department continue to endeavour to make savings wherever possible.

349

REVENUE BUDGET 1996/97: SUMMARY

349

SUBMITTED: Report dated 7 March 1997 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 1996/97 showing the projected expenditure for the full financial year. The report indicated that as at 1 January 1997, after taking account of costs totalling approximately £2,100,000 in respect of the cost to the Council of the Voluntary Severance trawl and the Council's share of the deficit inherited from the former Strathclyde Regional Council, there would be a projected deficit at the year end of £160,830.

DECIDED: That the overall position of the 1996/97 Revenue Budget be noted.

350

CONTRACT SERVICES COMMITTEE: PROJECTED YEAR END SURPLUS

350

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 February 1997 by the Director of Finance advising that based on the latest information available, the overall projected surplus for the Contract Services Committee amounted to £796,250 split between Contract Services Division (£555,640) and Leisure Management DSO (£240,610). The report advised that of the Contract Services Division projected surplus of £555,640, £337,320 was in respect of Building Works, 75% of which (£253,000) was due to work carried out on Council housing and the Committee was asked to decide on options to utilise that part of the surplus.

DECIDED:

(a) That the sum of £253,000 be transferred to the Housing Revenue Account and the remaining balance transferred to the General Fund; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

351

NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1996/97

351

SUBMITTED: Report dated 3 March 1997 by the Director of Finance on the current position of the 1996/97 Non-HRA Capital Programme.

The report advised that at the meeting of the Community Services Committee on 26 February 1997, it had been agreed to request the Policy and Strategy Committee to increase the Community Service Capital Budget by a sum of £305,000 to meet increases in costs as follows:-

Waterfront Leisure Complex - increase in Architects' Instructions, remeasurement and fees (£203,000), Battery Park Pavilion - increase in remeasurement (£74,000), and projects complete on site - inadequate budgetary allowance for inherited projects (£78,000). In addition, the Social Work Committee, at its meeting on 6 March had requested an increase in the Social Work Committee Capital Budget of £9,000 in respect of an excess in expenditure on the Lynedoch ATC Project in this sum.

DECIDED:

(a) That the request by the Community Services Committee for a total additional provision of £305,000 be approved;

(b) That the request by the Social Work Committee for additional provision of £9,000 be approved; and

352

PROCEDURES FOR APPROVAL OF EARLY RETIRALS AND REDUNDANCIES:

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (COMPENSATION FOR REDUNDANCY) (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 1994

352

SUBMITTED: Report dated 18 February 1997 by the Director of Personnel Services setting out details of the Local Government (Compensation for Redundancy) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 which provides discretion to local authorities to pay compensation to employees for the termination of employment on the grounds of redundancy or efficiency of service and requesting the Committee to approve the application of the maximum discretion to pay compensation to Chief Officials, APT&C staff and Manual Workers and Craft Operators, the payments of which would be based on age or length of service to employees aged under 50 years.

The Director of Personnel Services orally advised the Committee that the Scottish Office had intimated that the Local Government (Compensation for Redundancy or Premature Retirement on Reorganisation) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 applicable during the period 6 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 had been extended by the Scottish Office until 30 June 1997.

DECIDED:

(a) That the terms of the Local Government (Compensation for Redundancy) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 be noted;

(b) That the Regulations be used to release employees who express an interest in voluntary redundancy in the course of the trawl currently being carried out amongst employees under 50 years; and

(c) That the release of employees under the terms of the Regulations be subject to approval on the basis previously agreed by the Committee at its meeting on 29 October 1996 (para 1039).

353

THE TEACHERS (COMPENSATION FOR PREMATURE RETIREMENT) (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 1980

353

SUBMITTED: Report dated 5 March 1997 by the Director of Education Services recommending procedures and entitlements for dealing with applications for voluntary premature retiral for teachers on the grounds of efficiency of the service or ill-health.

DECIDED:

(a) That the terms of the Teachers (Compensation for Premature Retirement) (Scotland) Regulations 1980 be noted;

(b) That the Director of Education Services be authorised to seek interest in early retiral from teachers for Session 1997/98;

(d) That the release on the grounds of efficiency of service of any teacher under the 1980 Regulations be subject to the agreement of the Director of Education Services in consultation with the Director of Personnel Services with the approval of the Conveners and Vice-Conveners of the Education Services and Personnel Committees together with a Member of the Minority Groups and the Chief Executive.

354

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE SUPPORT STAFF: ACTIVITY REPORT

354

SUBMITTED: Report by the Chief Executive detailing the activities of staff employed within his office for the period April 1996 to January 1997.

NOTED

355

PRIORITY PARTNERSHIP AREA: URBAN PROGRAMME - ADDITIONAL BIDS FOR 1996/97

355

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) setting out recommendations on proposed awards to various organisations who had submitted bids for Urban Programme Funds under the Priority Partnership Area scheme amounting in total to £51,130.

DECIDED: That the awards to various organisations as detailed in the report amounting to the total sum of £51,130 be approved.

356

PRIORITY PARTNERSHIP AREA: URBAN PROGRAMME - EVALUATION OF TERMINATING URBAN PROGRAMME PROJECTS

356

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) detailing the number and costs of projects where Urban Programme funding will terminate in the current year but which were available for extension.

DECIDED: That the awards to various organisations amounting in total to £496,820 as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be approved for 1997/98.

357

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION: SPORTS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

357

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 February 1997 by the Director of Leisure and Recreation requesting the Committee to approve funding for the continuation of the operation of a Sports Development Officer in Inverclyde at a cost of £25,000 for which £10,000 would be provided by the Scottish Football Association with the balance of £15,000 provided by the Council. It was noted that the Council's contribution in 1996/97 had been met from the Common Good Fund.

DECIDED: That a contribution of up to £15,000 be made from the Common Good Fund for a further period of one year to ensure the continuation of a Sports Development Officer in Inverclyde.

358

GOUROCK HIGHLAND GAMES

358

SUBMITTED: Report dated 4 March 1997 by the Director of Leisure and Recreation requesting that consideration be given to providing a sum of £10,000 from the Common Good Fund towards the costs of organising the 1997 Gourock Highland Games and also recommending action with a view to achieving improvements in the organisation of the Games in future years. The report also requested the Committee to consider whether in view of the level of support requested, the Council might wish to seek representation on the Games Committee.

DECIDED:

(a) That a contribution of £10,000 be made from the Common Good Fund towards the cost of organising the 1997 Gourock Highland Games provided that the Games Committee agree to representation by an Elected Member of the Council;

(b) That the Council's representative on the Games Committee be Councillor Welch; and

(c) That the Director of Leisure and Recreation report to a future meeting of the Committee with recommendations on the future development of the Games.

359

CLOSE CIRCUIT TELEVISION (CCTV) CHALLENGE COMPETITION 1997/98

359

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 February 1997 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) advising that the Council's bid for funding through the CCTV Challenge Competition 1997/98 had been unsuccessful and requesting approval to submit a further bid for funding when details of the next round of the competition are known.

DECIDED:

(a) That the position with regard to the 1997/98 bid be noted;

(b) That the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) be authorised to submit a further bid at the appropriate time; and

(c) That the Working Group established by the Committee at its meeting on 10 December 1996 (para 1218) to determine the geographical area of the previous bid be re-convened at the appropriate time with a view to considering the basis for the next bid and that the Committee be kept informed of all developments.

360

MEMBERS WORKING GROUP ON COMPULSORY COMPETITIVE TENDERING

360

SUBMITTED: Minute of meeting of the Members Working Group on Compulsory Competitive Tendering held on Thursday 27 February 1997.

NOTED

361

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: INVERCLYDE MEGAWATT FESTIVAL

361

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) on an application from the organisers of the Inverclyde Megawatt Festival to be held from 17 to 25 May 1997 for financial assistance of £25,800 in cash and in kind to cover the use of Council premises, facilities and manpower. The report also requested the Committee to consider whether in view of the level of support requested, the Council might wish to seek representation on the Festival Board.

DECIDED:

(a) That a grant of up to £25,800 be made available from the Common Good Fund to the Inverclyde Megawatt Festival including the cost of the use of Council facilities and manpower provided that 3 Members be appointed to the Festival Board;

(b) That membership be on the basis of 2 Members from the Majority Group and 1 from the Minority Groups to be notified to the Director of Central Services; and

(c) That in the meantime, the Assistant Chief Executives (Social and Community Development) and (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) arrange to meet with the organisers to examine the aims and objectives of the event.

362

LIAISON COMMITTEE OF UNITARY AUTHORITY LEADERS AND CHIEF EXECUTIVES

362

SUBMITTED: Copy of minute of meeting of the Liaison Committee of Unitary Authority Leaders and Chief Executives held on 10 February 1997.

NOTED