position as at 31 March 1999 showed an anticipated overall underspend of £235,790. Attention was drawn however, to a number of factors which could have an effect on the actual balance at 31 March and in particular, drew attention to the requirement for regular information to be submitted to the Chief Executive and the Policy and Strategy Committee on progress towards the £896,000 target in respect of employee cost savings.

DECIDED:

(a) That progress towards the overall employee cost savings target of £896,000 be reported to the Committee on a cyclical basis; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

661 NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 661

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 May 1998 by the Director of Finance on the financial position of the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1998/99. The report advised of the request made by the Social Work and Housing Committee at its meeting on 19 May 1998 that the Policy and Strategy Committee approve an increase of £51,000 in the Social Work Capital Budget in respect of the McPherson Centre, Phase 3 Project.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That the request made by the Social Work and Housing Committee for an increase of £51,000 in the Social Work Capital Budget in respect of the McPherson Centre, Phase 3 Project be granted.

662 NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION 662

SUBMITTED: Report dated 18 May 1998 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

663 NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 663

SUBMITTED: Report dated 29 May 1998 by the Chief Executive advising the Committee of spending performance during 1997/98 and recommending measures to improve reporting to Committee.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report setting out the overall performance of the Non-HRA Capital Programme in 1997/98 be noted;

(b) That Capital Programme progress reports be in future submitted by Client Officers with all technical data and appendices provided by Technical Officers; and

664 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 664

SUBMITTED: Report dated 15 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

665 GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS 1998/99 665

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 May 1998 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) advising of the outcome of the evaluation of various categories of local voluntary organisations funded by the Council and setting out the recommendations of the Sounding Board on requests from organisations for grant aid during 1998/99.

DECIDED: That the grants to various voluntary organisations as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report amounting in total to £32,005 be approved.

666 INVERCLYDE REGENERATION PARTNERSHIP: EXPENDITURE PROPOSALS 1998/99 666

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) requesting approval of various bids for Urban Programme funding for 1998/99 in terms of recommendations as detailed in the Appendices to the report amounting to £329,000 (Revenue) and £280,000 (Capital) leaving a balance of Urban Programme funds for the current financial year of £140,000 (Revenue) and £5,000 (Capital).

DECIDED: That approval be granted to award Urban Programme funding for 1998/99 in respect of the schemes detailed in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the report and as summarised in Appendix 4 of the report.

667 STRONE FARM AREA REGENERATION 667

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) advising of progress on the Strone Farm area since the submission of the Area Regeneration Strategy in August 1997, informing the Committee on the performance of the pilot Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) Programme at Strone Farm, setting out details on the development of the second phase (ILM) Programme and requesting funding of £50,000 from the £200,000 agreed as part of the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1998/99 for the Strone Farm Area Regeneration Entranceway Proposal.

DECIDED:

(a) That the continued progress of the Strone Farm area regeneration study be noted;

(b) That the success of the Phase 1 (ILM) Programme be acknowledged; and

(c) That in support of the Phase 2 (ILM) Programme the sum of £50,000 be taken from the £200,000 allocated for the Strone Farm Area Regeneration Entranceway Proposal.

668 CCTV: THREE TOWN CENTRES - POSITION STATEMENT 668

SUBMITTED: Report dated 26 May 1998 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) on the current position regarding the installation of CCTV systems within the Town Centre areas of Greenock, Port Glasgow and Gourock, intimating that invitation of tenders was imminent and, as instructed by the Committee at its meeting on 19 March 1998 (para 321) recommending proposed management arrangements for the project.

The report also indicated that in future years, revenue costs are likely to be incurred by the Council.

The Assistant Chief Executive orally advised the Committee that the CCTV Steering Group would be asked to meet to prepare a bid for 1999/2000 for submission by 31 October 1998.

DECIDED:

(a) That the management of the project remain under the control of the Council through an Advisory Committee consisting of Members, Town Centre traders and the Police; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

669 ENFORCEMENT CONCORDAT 669

SUBMITTED: Report dated 29 May 1998 by the Chief Executive advising the Committee of the introduction of a national Enforcement Concordat to be adhered to by enforcement agencies in both Central and Local Government and recommending that the Council endorse its implementation within Inverclyde in respect of the Council's enforcement activities.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Enforcement Concordat as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report be noted and approved for implementation within Inverclyde in respect of the Council's enforcement activities; and

(b) That a further report be submitted to the Committee after a period of 6 months with proposals as to procedures to be introduced to monitor compliance with the Enforcement Concordat.

670 THIRD STATUTORY REVIEW OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS: WARD 670

BOUNDARY REVIEW

SUBMITTED: Report dated 2 June 1998 by the Director of Central Services advising that the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland had rejected the Council's representations opposing the Commission's proposals for further changes to boundaries affecting Wards 9, 10, 11, 16, 13 and 15 as detailed in Appendices B and C of the report.

DECIDED: That, in the light of its previous decision in October 1997 (para 1224), the Council make representations direct to the Secretary of State for Scotland expressing its continued opposition to the Boundary Commission's proposals for Wards 9, 10, 11, 16, 13 and 15 as its final opportunity to express its views but not proceed further once the Secretary of State has made his decision.

671 A NEW ETHICAL FRAMEWORK FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SCOTLAND: 671

CONSULTATION PAPER

SUBMITTED: Report dated 29 May 1998 by the Chief Executive together with copy of consultation paper "A New Ethical Framework for Local Government in Scotland" issued by The Scottish Office and inviting comments of the Council on the proposals contained within the document.

DECIDED: That the Chief Executive in consultation with a Cross Party Working Group comprising Councillors Mulholland, Jackson and Finnie agree a submission in response to The Scottish Office consultation paper.

672 PROPOSED DEPARTMENTAL RE-ORGANISATION: IT SERVICES 672

SUBMITTED: Report dated 26 May 1998 by the Director of Central Services advising that the Corporate Business Committee recommended that a sum of up to £47,000 be incorporated in the 1999/2000 Revenue Estimates to provide for the implications of the revised departmental structure of the IT Services Department.

DECIDED: That a sum of up to £47,000 be incorporated as part of the 1999/2000 Revenue Estimates in respect of the implications of the revised departmental structure in the IT Services Department.

673 REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99: SPEND TO SAVE PROPOSALS 673

SUBMITTED: Report dated 4 June 1998 by the Chief Executive advising the Committee of the current position of the Spend to Save initiatives arising from the decision of the Council at its meeting on 5 March 1998 (para 226) to request proposals for Spend to Save initiatives producing budget savings of at least £146,000.

DECIDED: That the current position regarding anticipated savings be noted and it be remitted to the Chief Executive to submit a further report detailing the overall position on the Spend to Save proposals.

674 REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99 674

SUBMITTED: Report dated 4 June 1998 by the Chief Executive referring to the decision of the Committee at its meeting on 30 April 1998 (para 509) to provide funding of £178,000 to ensure that an effective Garden Tidy Scheme is provided subject to a further report being submitted on options for achieving savings of this sum. The report advised (i) that expenditure on the Garden Tidy Scheme can be contained within the present projected budget assuming all agreed savings targets are met (ii) that there are no readily available savings options which can be presented to Committee and (iii) that unless the Committee is prepared to consider the savings proposals originally presented, these options will not be available and the Committee would require to ensure that budgetary control is rigorously applied to ensure that any savings in expenditure or increase in income generated are highlighted and offset against the Council's overall budget position.

DECIDED: That the present position regarding savings options be noted meantime.

675 PATON STREET HALL 675

SUBMITTED: Report dated 27 May 1998 by the Chief Executive on the circumstances surrounding the unsatisfactory progress of the Bow Farm Paton Street Hall project and setting out courses of action with a view to ensuring that such a position will not arise in future.

DECIDED:

(a) That in respect of all Urban Programme projects a Council officer be nominated as the Client Officer to ensure that projects are progressed in line with the procedures outlined in the Council's Financial Regulations; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

676 RESOLUTION : EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 676

On the motion of the Chairman it was agreed unanimously that in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted item of business on the grounds that consideration of the item involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 2, 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

677 PROPERTY IN CENTRAL GOUROCK 677

There was submitted a report by the Director of Central Services advising that the Economic Development Committee recommended the provision of funding to allow action following purchase of property in Gourock, all as detailed in the Appendix.