Agenda, decisions and minutes

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on the 14 July 2015 be agreed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.  

1.1       RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on the 14July 2015 be agreed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them. 

Councillor Jim Mallory declared a personal interest in item 3 as he was a school governor at Abbey Manor College.

2.1       Councillor Jim Mallory declared a personal interest in item 3 as he was a school governor at Abbey Manor College.

RESOLVED:

That the following comments be referred to Mayor and Cabinet:

That the referrals made by Select Committees (attached at Appendix A of the full agenda report) be endorsed with the exceptions of referrals I9e from Children and Young People Select Committee, and G2 from Sustainable Development Select Committee on which the committee decided to reserve judgement in order to fully consider these matters at its own meeting. The Committee asked that the Mayor and Cabinet take these referrals into account alongside officer reports when taking a decision on the Lewisham Future Programme – 2016/17 Revenue Budget Savings Report.

In addition to these Select Committee referrals, the Public Accounts Select Committee agreed to add an additional recommendation to the Mayor and Cabinet as requested by the Chair of Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee to endorse the importance of considering the equality impact of savings proposals on residents with protected characteristics, both for individual proposals and when considered overall, and that the equalities information provided by officers be updated as these proposals are developed and monitored once implemented, with additional analysis where possible. 

The Public Accounts Select Committee agreed the following proposals be referred with no changes: F2a and F2b;F3; I2a,I2b and I2c;I4a and I4b;I5:I6;I7;I8;I9a,I9b,I9c,I9d,I9e; I10a and I10b; and O4.

The Public Accounts Select Committee made additional comments for referral on the following proposals:

G2: Income generation

The Committee agreed with the comments of the Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee and strongly endorsed the appointment of a commercialism specialist at senior officer level. This had been brought out in evidence sessions as part of the Income Generation Review being conducted by the committee and would be one of the key recommendations of the final report which would be presented to Mayor and Cabinet at its meeting on 11 November 2015.

I3: Reorganisation of how complaints are managed across the Council.

The Committee agreed the proposal but requested that the Public Accounts Select Committee receive feedback on the results of the review after it had been completed.

O5 Discretionary Freedom Pass

The Committee endorsed the comments of the Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee and rejected the proposal in its current form requesting that it be reconsidered in light of the implications on vulnerable residents.

3.1       David Austin, Head of Corporate Resources, introduced the savings report to the committee and explained that the report continued the work from the last financial year and could be looked at in the context of the Medium Term Financial Strategy. The following points were noted:

·         Pending the Comprehensive Spending Review in November and the Local Government Financial Statement in December 2015, there was uncertainty as to the full amount needed for savings up to 2020.

·         There was a minimum of £45 million of savings which would be needed over the next two financial years. The current report put forward £12 million of new savings for 2016/17 and a further £14 million of new savings for 2017/18.

·         The Council had already made £120 million savings from 2010 up to 2015.

·         Referrals made by the Public Accounts Select Committee would go to Mayor and Cabinet in the 30^th September 2015.

3.2       Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, addressed the committee and stressed the scale of the savings needed as well as that additional details would be known following the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the Local Government Financial Statement (LGFS) in November and December respectively.

3.3       Councillor Bonavia, Executive Member for Resources, addressed the committee reiterating comments from the Mayor and emphasising the size of the reductions needed and that further information would be available following the CSR and LGFS.

3.4       Councillor Hilary Moore, Chair of the Children and Young People Select Committee (CYPSC), addressed the committee highlighting the comments and concerns raised at the meeting of the CYPSC on 8September 2015 as listed in Appendix 18 of the report to Public Accounts Select Committee.

3.5       Councillor Stella Jeffrey, Vice-Chair of Healthier Communities Select Committee (HCSC), addressed the committee highlighting the comments and concerns raised at the meeting of the HCSC held on 9 September 2015 as listed in Appendix 18 of the report to Public Accounts Select Committee.

3.6       Councillor Liam Curran, Chair of Sustainable Development Select Committee (SDSC), addressed the committee highlighting the comments and concerns raised at the meeting of the SDSC held on 15 September 2015 as listed in Appendix 19 of the report to Public Accounts Select Committee.

3.7       Councillor Carl Handley, Chair of Housing Select Committee (HSC), addressed the committee highlighting the comments and concerns raised at the meeting of the HSC held on 16 September 2015 as listed in Appendix 19 of the report to Public Accounts Select Committee.

3.8       Councillor Pauline Morrison, Chair of Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee (SSCSC), addressed the committee highlighting the comments and concerns raised at the meeting of the SSCSC held on 16 September 2015 as listed in Appendix 19 of the report to Public Accounts Select Committee. In addition to this, Councillor Morrison highlighted the importance of considering the equality impact of savings proposals on residents with protected characteristics, both for individual proposals and when considered overall, and that the equalities information provided by officers be updated as these proposals are developed and monitored once  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

That the additional information tabled by Cllr Ingleby be noted.

That an update on the Fees and Charges Strategy be brought back to the Public Accounts Committee at the end of this municipal year.

That the draft recommendations for the Income Generation Review include a recommendation for the Council to appoint a commercialisation specialist.

4.1       Selwyn Thompson, Head of Finance, introduced the report to the committee, highlighting that this evidence session focussed on what LB Lewisham were currently undertaking in the field of income generation. During the presentation and in the discussion that followed, the following key points were raised:

·         Generating income was a key strand of the Lewisham 2020 scheme.

·         The Fees and Charges strategy was a central part of this.

·         The current main areas where the Council sold services were to schools in the borough.

·         Improving performance on operational assets was also of key importance including maximising market rent.

4.2      Councillor Ingleby, Vice-Chair of the Public Accounts Select Committee, tabled a report highlighting discussions he had held around income generation models, a copy of this will be interleaved with the agenda.  

·         In the discussion that followed committee members highlighted the importance of a commercialisation specialist being appointed at senior manager level.

4.3       RESOLVED:

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That the additional information tabled by Cllr Ingleby be noted.

(3)          That an update on the Fees and Charges Strategy be brought back to the Public Accounts Committee at the end of this municipal year.

(4)          That the draft recommendations for the Income Generation Review include a recommendation for the Council to appoint a commercialisation specialist.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

That an update on the Fees and Charges Strategy be brought back to the committee at the end of the municipal year.  

5.1       Katie Wood, Scrutiny Manager, introduced the report to the committee and asked for any comments on the work programme.

RESOLVED:

1.            That the report be noted.

2.            That an update on the Complaints Review (listed in savings proposal I3) be presented to the committee during the current municipal year. 

RESOLVED:

That the following recommendations on the Lewisham Future Programme 2016/17 Draft Revenue Budget Savings Proposals be referred to Mayor and Cabinet:

The referrals made by Select Committees (attached at Appendix A of the full agenda report) be endorsed with the exceptions of referrals I9e from Children and Young People Select Committee, and G2 from Sustainable Development Select Committee on which the committee decided to reserve judgement in order to fully consider these matters at its own meeting. The Committee ask that the Mayor and Cabinet take these referrals into account alongside officer reports when taking a decision on the Lewisham Future Programme – 2016/17 Revenue Budget Savings Report.

In addition to these Select Committee referrals, the Public Accounts Select Committee agreed to add an additional recommendation to the Mayor and Cabinet as requested by the Chair of Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee to endorse the importance of considering the equality impact of savings proposals on residents with protected characteristics, both for individual proposals and when considered overall, and that the equalities information provided by officers be updated as these proposals are developed and monitored once implemented, with additional analysis where possible. 

The Public Accounts Select Committee agreed the following proposals be referred with no changes: F2a and F2b;F3; I2a,I2b and I2c;I4a and I4b;I5:I6;I7;I8;I9a,I9b,I9c,I9d,I9e; I10a and I10b; and O4.

The Public Accounts Select Committee made additional comments for referral on the following proposals:

G2: Income generation

The Committee agreed with the comments of the Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee and strongly endorsed the appointment of a commercialism specialist at senior officer level. This had been brought out in evidence sessions as part of the Income Generation Review being conducted by the committee and would be one of the key recommendations of the final report which would be presented to Mayor and Cabinet at its meeting on 11 November 2015.

I3: Reorganisation of how complaints are managed across the Council.

The Committee agreed the proposal but requested that the Public Accounts Select Committee receive feedback on the results of the review after it had been completed.

O5 Discretionary Freedom Pass

The Committee endorsed the comments of the Safer, Stronger Communities Select Committee and rejected the proposal in its current form requesting that it be reconsidered in light of the implications on vulnerable residents.