642 SMOKING IN THE WORKPLACE 642

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 May 1998 by the Director of Personnel Services (i) advising the Committee on the outcome of discussions which have taken place with the respective JCC's on the Policy on Smoking in the Workplace and (ii) appending a revised Policy on Smoking in the Workplace for consideration.

Following discussion, Councillor Jackson moved that the revised Policy be approved with an amendment to Section 3 viz by adding a new para 3.1 as follows: "except, where a workplace is occupied by a single employee who smokes, (however, when a workplace, which is normally singly occupied by a smoker, is used for some reason by more than one person, then that workplace will revert to no smoking status, eg a singly occupied office used for a meeting)." As an amendment, Councillor Nimmo moved that the revised Policy on Smoking in the Workplace as detailed in the report be approved. On a vote, 1 Member voted for the amendment and 8 for the motion which was declared carried.

DECIDED:

(a) That the revised Policy on Smoking in the Workplace be approved with the amendment to Section 3 viz by adding a new para 3.1 as follows: "except, where a workplace is occupied by a single employee who smokes, (however, when a workplace, which is normally singly occupied by a smoker is used for some reason by more than one person, then that workplace will revert to no smoking status, eg a singly occupied office used for a meeting)"; and

(b) That it be remitted to the Director of Personnel Services to implement the Policy.

643 CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS 1998/99 643

SUBMITTED: Report dated 5 May 1998 by the Director of Personnel Services advising that a request had been received from UNISON that consideration be given to closing certain Inverclyde Council work locations on a trial basis for the three-day period between the 1998/99 Christmas and New Year Public Holidays for APT&C employees of the Council.

DECIDED:

(a) That the departments/services described in the report close on Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December 1998 and the detailed arrangements contained in paragraph 2.1 of the report be implemented for 1998/99; and

(b) That it be remitted to the Director of Personnel Services to submit a report on the operation of the revised holiday arrangements in early 1999.

644 COSLA - SCOTTISH OFFICE JOINT STAFFING WATCH 644

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 May 1998 by the Director of Personnel Services advising Members of the current arrangements for recording employee numbers within Inverclyde Council and giving details of the workforce profile for 1997/98.

DECIDED: That the Committee note (i) the staffing details for 1997/98 and (ii) that further reports will be submitted to the Committee on a quarterly basis.

645 APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL PROJECT GRANT: COWDENKNOWES COMMUNITY 645

COUNCIL

SUBMITTED: Report dated 29 May 1998 by the Director of Central Services on an application for a Special Project Grant from Cowdenknowes Community Council in the sum of £100 for the supply and erection of Neighbourhood Watch signs on lighting columns in the area, as part of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee agree that an initial sum of £100 be made available as a Special Project Grant to Cowdenknowes Community Council for the supply and erection of neighbourhood watch signs on lighting columns in the area currently in operation, the precise locations to be as directed by the Director of Transportation and Roads; and

(b) That authority be delegated to the Convener, Vice-Convener and a Member of the Minority Groups in consultation with appropriate Officers to make further sums available for the supply and erection of signs in other areas promoted by the Community Council up to a total sum of £400 including the initial grant of £100.

646 CAPITAL PROGRAMMES 1997/98 AND 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 646

SUBMITTED: Report dated 18 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programmes 1997/98 and 1998/99.

NOTED

647 MAJOR REPAIRS BUDGET 1998/99: GREENOCK MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS REWIRE, 647

PHASE 2

SUBMITTED: Report dated 25 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services requesting approval to add to the current contract for the Greenock Municipal Buildings Rewire Phase 2, the installation of smoke detectors and associated builders' work as part of the current fire alarm installation work at an estimated cost of £31,000.

DECIDED: That the Committee approve the additional expenditure for the installation of smoke detectors at an estimated cost of £31,000 at Greenock Municipal Buildings as part of the current alarm installation but make no other change to the 1998/99 Major Repairs Budget to accommodate the expenditure in the meantime.

648 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION 648

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

DECIDED:

(a) That the contents of the report be noted; and

(b) That any decision on whether to refer any projected overspend in the Capital Programme to the Policy and Strategy Committee be delayed until later in the financial year.

649 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 1998 649

SUBMITTED: Report dated 14 April 1998 by the Directors of Finance and Personnel Services seeking Committee approval for the adoption of certain discretionary elements contained within the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1998 which came into force on 1 April 1998.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee approve the adoption of the discretionary provisions contained within the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1998;

(b) That authority be delegated to the Directors of Finance and Personnel Services to approve requests for the application of any of the provisions outlined in the report;

(c) That all departments seek delegated authority before authorising/agreeing any of the provisions as outlined in the report; and

(d) That the continued application of the discretionary provisions be monitored and reviewed as required in future by the Directors of Finance and Personnel Services.

650 ST PATRICK'S PRIMARY SCHOOL: RE-ROOFING AND FASCIA REPLACEMENT 650

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Property and Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66 for the approval of additional expenditure for unforeseen works which had been identified at St Patrick's Primary School.

NOTED

651 RESOLUTION: EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 651

On the motion of the Convener 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 items of business on the grounds that consideration of the items involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act as are set opposite each item:-

Item Paragraph(s)

Department of Central Services - Review 1

Vehicle Replacement Programme 6 & 8

Lease of Rough Grazing Land at the former Balrossie School,

Kilmacolm 2, 6 & 9

New Lease of Premises: Lynedoch Industrial Estate 2, 6 & 9

New Rail Halt: Lemmon Street, Greenock: Proposed Servitude Right

of Access 2, 6 & 9

Automatic Door Installation at McLean Museum, Greenock 6 & 8

Rent Reviews 2, 6 & 9

New Lease of Premises: Ladyburn Business Park, Greenock 2, 6 & 9

652 DEPARTMENT OF CENTRAL SERVICES - REVIEW 652

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 May 1998 by the Director of Personnel Services advising the Committee of a review which had been carried out for the two posts of Principal Officer (Committee Services) Grade PO14 (£28,983-£31,029) and Principal Officer (General Services) Grade PO18 (£31,779-£34,065) within the Central Services Department.

Following discussion, Councillor Jackson moved that there be no change to the grades of the posts of the two Principal Officers within the Central Services Department. As an amendment, Councillor Rebecchi moved that a further report be submitted on the cost implications of granting parity to the two Principal Officers. On a vote, 3 Members voted for the amendment and 7 for the motion which was declared carried.

DECIDED: That the Committee agree that there be no change to the grades of the posts of the two Principal Officers within the Central Services Department.

653 VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME 653

SUBMITTED: Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Contract Services) recommending acceptance of tenders for the provision of sweepers and vehicles included in the vehicle replacement programme approved by the Committee at its meeting on 5 August 1997 (para 840).

DECIDED:

(a) That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to accept the following tenders:-

(i) The tender submitted by Johnston Engineering in the sum of £81,534, for the provision of two vehicle compact sweepers;

(ii) The tender submitted by Applied Sweepers in the sum of £51,593.88 for the provision of four vehicle pedestrian suction sweepers;

(iii) The tender submitted by Wylies Ltd in the sum of £78,744 for the provision of four crew cab tippers with tow hitch and crane;

(iv) The tender submitted by Faun in the sum of £405,900 for the provision of four refuse collection vehicles comprising a Faun body and a Seddon Atkinson chassis; and

(v) The tender submitted by Terberg in the sum of £97,300 for the provision of seven automatic lifts;

(b) That the Committee agree to the conversion of Paladin bins up to a cost of £20,000 to allow the operational efficiencies detailed in Section 5 of the report to be achieved and that the matter be referred to the Economic Development Committee to consider the operational requirement for Paladin bins along with a recommendation on their financing; and

(c) That the matter be referred to the Policy and Strategy Committee to determine the appropriate method of financing for the purchase of the vehicles.

654 LEASE OF 6.4 ACRES OF ROUGH GRAZING LAND, FORMER BALROSSIE SCHOOL, 654

KILMACOLM

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66 to grant consent to Mr McWilliam to lease 6.4 acres of rough grazings at the former Balrossie School, Kilmacolm for the purpose of summer grazings in the sum of £5 per week on the appropriate terms and conditions.

NOTED

655 NEW LEASE OF PREMISES: UNIT 32, LYNEDOCH INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, GREENOCK 655

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66 to grant consent to Rathbone C.I. to lease the premises at Unit 32, Lynedoch Industrial Estate, Greenock on the basis of a five-year lease with a tenant's option to terminate at any time between 31 March and 31 May in any year of the tenancy upon giving three months' prior written notice, at a rental of £21,000 per annum on the appropriate terms and conditions.

NOTED

656 NEW RAIL HALT: LEMMON STREET, GREENOCK: PROPOSED SERVITUDE RIGHT 656

OF ACCESS

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66 to approve to grant of a servitude right of access at the new rail halt, Lemmon Street, Greenock to Railtrack plc on the appropriate terms and conditions.

NOTED

657 AUTOMATIC DOOR INSTALLATION AT McLEAN MUSEUM, GREENOCK 657

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on tenders received for the installation of automatic doors at the McLean Museum.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services to accept the tender by Langley Systems Ltd in the sum of £5,768.75 and that the additional expenditure be contained within the budget identified in the report for access for the disabled.

658 RENT REVIEWS 658

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on rent reviews provisionally agreed with five tenants of premises as indicated in the appendix to the report.

DECIDED: That the rent reviews be approved.

659 NEW LEASE OF PREMISES: LADYBURN BUSINESS PARK, GREENOCK 659

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 May 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on an application by Argyll B & C Holdings Ltd for the lease of the premises at Unit 2, Ladyburn Business Park, Greenock.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Director of Property and Technical Services to offer the lease of the premises at Unit 2, Ladyburn Business Park, Greenock on the appropriate terms and conditions to Argyll B & C Holdings Ltd on the basis of a rental of £7,500 per annum for a period of five years with a tenant's option to terminate after three years upon giving three months' prior written notice, subject to satisfactory references being received.