Agenda, decisions and minutes

None were made.

Councillor Muldoon declared a personal interest a Governor of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Comments of the Healthier Communities Select Committee on

Community Health Initiatives

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Chair of the

Healthier Communites Select Committee, the Mayor agreed that the views of

the Healthier Communities Select Committee be received and the Executive

Director for Community Services be asked to respond.

Comments of the Healthier Communities Select Committee on the

Campaign in Lewisham for Autism Spectrum Housing

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Chair of the

Healthier Communites Select Committe, the Mayor agreed that the views of

the Healthier Communities Select Committee be received and the Executive

Director for Community Services be asked to respond.

The Mayor received two referrals from the Healthier Communities Select Committee, relating to Public Health and Autism Spectrum Housing. The report was introduced by the Chair of the Healthier Communities Select Committee, Councillor John Muldoon.

RESOLVED that the views of the Healthier Communities Select Committee be noted, and that the Executive Director for Community Services be asked to respond.

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, the Mayor agreed that:

(i) the outcomes of the two consultations set out in appendices 1 to 7 be

received;

(ii) a local CTRS be retained from 1 April 2015 that passes on any shortfall in

government funding, as set out in section 10; and

(iii) additional support be delivered to the most vulnerable residents through

use of the existing provision within Section 13A(1)(c) of the 1992 Local

Government Finance Act.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia, who outlined an update to Lewisham’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for 2015/16.

On 1 April 2013 the Council implemented a local CTRS which passed on the government cut in grant of £3.28m in full to 24,648 working age households previously in receipt of Council Tax Benefit. Lewisham agreed a Discretionary Hardship fund of £100,000 to help those suffering exceptional financial hardship meet some of the shortfall in the Council Tax Reduction awards.

Councillor Bonavia highlighted the recent Haringey Supreme Court decision, and commented that the Council needed to ensure that any public consultation undertaken in relation to CTRS revisions would have to be proportionate. It was considered that the representations received during the November 2014 supplementary consultation were valid, and the Council was right to undertake this consultation, which related to technical changes to the CTRS. In light of the Haringey Supreme Court decision, the Head of Law commented that all local authorities would need to be mindful of alternative options of administering the CTRS.

Having considered the officer report, and received the presentation from the Cabinet Member for Resources, the Mayor for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that

(1)  the outcomes of the two consultations set out in appendices 1 to 7 be received;

(2)  a local Council Tax Reduction Scheme be retained from 1 April 2015 that passes on any shortfall in government funding, as set out in section 10; and

(3)  additional support be delivered to the most vulnerable residents, through use of the existing provision within Section 13A(1)(c) of the 1992 Local Government Finance Act.

The meeting ended at 11.59 a.m.