a Year 2000 audit and (ii) the resultant cost of replacing hardware which is not fully Year 2000 compliant, and requesting approval to purchase hardware in 1998/99 at an estimated cost of £407,000 on the basis of utilising Revenue balances which avoid pressure on the 1999/2000 Capital Programme.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee note the results of the hardware audit for Year 2000 compliance;

(b) That the Committee agree to replace the non-compliant hardware in line with the recommended sequence and subject to the necessary funding being approved; and

(c) That the Committee seek approval from the Policy and Strategy Committee to utilise a sum of £407,000 from the Council's Revenue balances to enable purchase of the replacement hardware within the 1998/99 financial year.

130 OVERTIME WORKING 130

SUBMITTED: Report by the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services advising the Committee that the revised projected requirement for overtime working within IT Services was £25,500, an increase of £7,000 on the projection of £18,500 intimated to the Committee at its meeting on 22 September 1998 (para 987), and requesting further virement to fund this increase.

DECIDED: That the Committee agree to virement of £7,000 and to fund overtime working within Information Technology Services.

131 MILLENNIUM HOLIDAY: 31 DECEMBER 1999 AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2000 131

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 January 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services (i) advising the Committee that, following consultation, the Government had decided to mark the Millennium by granting a "one-off" holiday on Friday 31 December 1999 and (ii) requesting that the Committee fix the public holidays for the year 2000.

DECIDED:

(a) That the additional one-off public holiday on Friday 31 December 1999 to celebrate the Millennium be noted; and

(b) That the local public holidays for the year 2000 be fixed as follows:-

Holiday Date

New Year Monday 3 January 2000

Tuesday 4 January 2000

Spring Holiday Monday 10 April 2000

Good Friday Friday 21 April 2000

Easter Monday Monday 24 April 2000

May Day Monday 1 May 2000

Victoria Day Monday 29 May 2000

Fair Saturday Saturday 1 July 2000

Autumn Holiday Monday 4 September 2000

Christmas Monday 25 December 2000

Tuesday 26 December 2000

132 GROUP LIFE ASSURANCE SCHEME 132

SUBMITTED: Report dated 19 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising the Committee of the implications of extending the contributory Group Life Assurance Scheme which applies currently to certain Council employees.

DECIDED:

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

(b) That the Committee agree that, in view of the financial implications of extending the contributory scheme, the matter be considered in the course of the 1999/2000 budgetary process and that the matter be referred back to the Committee if necessary.

133 RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE STAFFING REVIEW 133

SUBMITTED: Report dated 19 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising that the Social Work & Housing Committee at its meeting on 12 January 1999 (para 35) approved proposals on a review of the Residential Child Care service and recommending that the Committee approve the revised staffing establishments as detailed in the report.

DECIDED: That the Committee approve the revised staffing establishments for the Council's Residential Child Care service as detailed in Appendices 3 to 6 of the report.

134 THE REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974 AND THE REHABILITATION 134

OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974 (EXCEPTIONS) ORDER AS AMENDED

SUBMITTED: Report dated 19 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising the Committee on the operation of the interim policy statement and procedures currently operating in relation to the checking of criminal records of job applicants.

DECIDED: That the Committee note:-

(i) That the current arrangements in relation to the management of the criminal conviction declaration process for recruitment are working effectively; and

(ii) That the Council's recruitment and selection procedures are to be revised to take account of the Police Act 1997 and the Kent Report and that a further report on these required revisions will be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

135 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR THE LINK CLUB 135

SUBMITTED: Report dated 19 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services advising that the Social Work & Housing Committee at its meeting on 12 January 1999 (para 36) approved in principle the redevelopment and relaunch of the Link Club services within the Link Club, Shaw Place, Greenock.

DECIDED: That the Committee approve the deletion of the post of Development Officer (Post No 80602) from the Social Work establishment.

136 BIRKMYRE TRUST: HOT WATER SYSTEM UPGRADE 136

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking approval to upgrade the hot water system at Birkmyre Pavilion on the basis that the estimated cost of £6,000 be provided from the Birkmyre Trust funds.

DECIDED: That approval be given to upgrade the hot water system within Birkmyre Pavilion and that the cost of the upgrade be met by the Birkmyre Trust.

137 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 137

SUBMITTED: Report dated 5 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

DECIDED:

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

(b) That the Committee approve, in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations, an expenditure increase of £24,312 in the Larkfield/Lynedoch Industrial Estate CCTV project as a result of the theft of equipment; and

(c) That the accumulated variation in respect of the repairs to the Watt Tower, Municipal Buildings, Greenock, which is 22.8% (£1,967) less than the completed tender amount, be approved in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations.

138 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION 138

SUBMITTED: Report dated 14 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the current position of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

139 REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99 139

SUBMITTED: Report dated 18 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1998/99 as at 9 December 1998.

DECIDED:

(a) That the projected overspend of £4,870 arising from the balance of an error in the Central Services budget be remitted to the Policy and Strategy Committee; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

140 ACCOMMODATION WORKS 1998/99 140

SUBMITTED: Report by the Depute Chief Executive advising the Committee of the need to undertake certain additional projects within the Accommodation Works budget 1998/99 and seeking approval to proceed with the proposals on a single contract basis.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee approve the utilisation of the accommodation as detailed in the report;

(b) That the Committee approve the additional accommodation works as follows:-

Location	Description		Value
East Hamilton Street Offices	Alterations to one partition wall, additional telecoms, power		£5,000
McLean Museum Café	Conversion of the McLean Museum café		£5,000
Gourock Municipal Buildings	Refurbish 6 offices		£14,000
		Total:	£24,000;

(c) That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services to adjust the overall programme of accommodation works to ensure the allocation is not exceeded; and

(d) That authority be granted for the projects listed at (b) above to be dealt with as a single contract as part of the Accommodation Works budget, that tenders be invited on this basis and that the Committee approve that, where the tender returns are no more than 10% greater than the estimate given in the report, authority be delegated to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers and after consultation with the Convener, Vice-Convener and a Member of the Minority Groups to accept the lowest tender for the works.

141 PROPERTY VALUATIONS 141

SUBMITTED: Report dated 26 January 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on tenders received in respect of property reinstatement valuations to be carried out on behalf of the Council.

DECIDED: That the Committee approve the acceptance of the lowest tender received, that of D M Hall in the corrected sum of £21,150, to carry out property reinstatement valuations.

142 RESOLUTION: EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 142

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)

Greenock Municipal Buildings: Finance First Floor 6 & 8

Computer Infrastructure Works

Greenock Municipal Buildings - Security and Access Controls System 6 & 10

Site at Old Inverkip Road/Thom Street, Greenock: 2, 6 & 9

Applications to Purchase

Former Cleansing Depot and Public Conveniences, Port Glasgow Road, 2, 6 & 9

Kilmacolm

Site at Shore Street, Gourock: Proposed Advertising Hoarding 2, 6 & 9

Relocation of Sub-Post Office, Angus Road, Greenock 2, 6 & 9

Lease of Premises: John Wood Street, Port Glasgow 2, 6 & 9

Shop Premises: Cathcart Street, Greenock: Renunciation of Lease 2, 6 & 9

Land at Birkmyre Park, Kilmacolm 2, 6 & 9

Asset Utilisation 8 & 9

Charges for Pre-Five Groups Based in Council Accommodation 2, 6 & 9

143 GREENOCK MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS: FINANCE FIRST FLOOR 143

COMPUTER INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS

SUBMITTED: Report dated 12 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66 to authorise the acceptance of the lowest tender for the computer infrastructure works in the Finance First Floor, Municipal Buildings, Greenock, that by William Lafferty & Co in the corrected sum of £17,877.41.

NOTED

144 GREENOCK MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS: SECURITY AND ACCESS CONTROL 144

SYSTEMS

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive outlining details of works required to provide a fully integrated building security system for the Greenock Municipal Buildings and the Committee agreed to take action, all as detailed in the Appendix.

145 SITE AT OLD INVERKIP ROAD/THOM STREET, GREENOCK: 145

APPLICATIONS TO PURCHASE

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive on offers received in respect of a site at Old Inverkip Road/Thom Street, Greenock and the Committee agreed to take action, all as detailed in the Appendix.

146 FORMER CLEANSING DEPOT AND PUBLIC CONVENIENCES, PORT GLASGOW 146

ROAD, KILMACOLM

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive on the outcome in respect of the marketing of the former cleansing depot and public conveniences, Port Glasgow Road, Kilmacolm and the Committee agreed to take action, all as detailed in the Appendix.

147 SITE AT SHORE STREET, GOUROCK: PROPOSED ADVERTISING HOARDING 147

SUBMITTED: Report dated 11 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on an application by Maiden Outdoor Advertising Ltd to lease a site at Shore Street, Gourock for the purpose of erecting an advertising hoarding.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services to offer the lease of a site at Shore Street, Gourock to Maiden Outdoor Advertising Ltd for a period of five years at a rental of £1,750 per panel per annum for the first two years of the lease, the rental to be increased to £2,000 per annum for the remainder of the term on the appropriate terms and conditions.

148 RELOCATION OF LARKFIELD SUB-POST OFFICE, 41 ANGUS ROAD, GREENOCK 148

SUBMITTED: Report dated 18 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising the Committee of the proposal to relocate the Sub-Post Office from 45 Angus Road, Greenock.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee approve the lease of shop premises at 41A Angus Road to Mrs Shahida Chaudhery for a period of 25 years at a rental of £2,000 per annum subject to five-yearly reviews on the appropriate terms and conditions; and

(b) That the Committee approve the lease of shop premises at 41B Angus Road to Mr Michael Wright for a period of 15 years at a rental of £1,700 per annum, subject to five-yearly reviews on the appropriate terms and conditions.

149 LEASE OF PREMISES: 9 JOHN WOOD STREET, PORT GLASGOW 149

SUBMITTED: Report dated 14 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on an application by Port Glasgow Credit Union for the lease of premises at 9 John Wood Street, Port Glasgow.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Head of Property Services to offer the lease of the premises at 9 John Wood Street, Port Glasgow to Port Glasgow Credit Union for a period of five years with a tenant's option to extend the lease for a further five years at a rental of £3,450 per annum on the appropriate terms and conditions.

150 SHOP PREMISES: 75/81 CATHCART STREET, GREENOCK 150

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive on an application to renounce a lease at 75/81 Cathcart Street, Greenock and the Committee agreed to take action, all as detailed in the Appendix.

151 LAND AT BIRKMYRE PARK, KILMACOLM 151

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive on the outcome in respect of the marketing of land at Birkmyre Park, Kilmacolm and the Committee agreed to take action, all as detailed in the Appendix.

152 ASSET UTILISATION 152

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 January 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services on a request by Councillor Mitchell that the Committee be informed of progress in the site assembly and re-sale of property owned by the Council in Greenock.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive to submit a report on the matter to the next meeting of the Committee.

153 CHARGES FOR PRE-FIVE GROUPS BASED IN COUNCIL ACCOMMODATION 153

SUBMITTED: Report dated 27 January 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising that the Education Committee at its meeting on 11 August 1998 (para 792) considered a report reviewing the scheme for charging pre-five groups who use Council accommodation which recommends the implementation of an amended formula by which charges for accommodation used by pre-five groups could be calculated and recommending that leases be entered into with each of the respective groups as detailed in the report.

DECIDED: That approval be given to the Head of Property Services to enter into a lease for each of the pre-five groups concerned on the basis of the annual charges set out in the report.