Policy And Resources Committee - 14/01/2002

At a MEETING of the POLICY and RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 14th January 2002.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor , Julie STURROCK, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th December 2001 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I CITIZEN ACCOUNT SMART- CARD

On a reference to Article I of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 18 October 1999 there was submitted Report No 822-2001 by the Chief Executive setting out a plan to introduce a single smart-card for all council services that required a card. In addition the card was also designed to work in partnership with other institutions in the City to make it a city-wide scheme.

The Committee gave consideration to the undernoted recommendations -

(a)Introduce a city-wide multi-application smart-card scheme, which will offer services and benefits to all its citizens.

(b) Make the first applications a school, the taxi-card and the bus travel concessions.

(c) Adopt a rollout programme for all services between October 2002 and October 2004.

(d) Make the smart-card scheme a core component of the Council's MGF 2 fund bid.

(e) Form a city-wide partnership to ensure it has cross institution applications.

(f)To fully participate in the European Smart-Cities scheme and the Scottish Executive smart-card working group.

(g)To appoint a consultant specialising in smart-cards to assist in procuring the smart- card and developing successful pilots.

The Committee approved the recommendations subject to Paragraph (a) being approved in principle and Paragraph (c) being deleted.

II THE LOCAL AUTHORITY'S RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY TOWARDS YOUNG CARERS

There was submitted Report No 48-2002 by the Directors of Social Work, Education, Neighbourhood Resources and Development and Leisure and Arts informing members of the responsibility of the Local Authority in respect of young carers.

The Committee,

1 noted the content of the Report and,

2adopted Best Practice Guidelines for workers as drawn up by the Young Carers Partnership and detailed in the Appendix to the Report.

IIILOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE SETTLEMENT 2002/3 AND 2003/4

There was submitted Report No 50-2002 by the Director of Finance relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(a)Noted the Council's revised Aggregate External Finance settlement for 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, as recently announced by the Minister for Finance and Public Services.

(b)Noted the current projected position on the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for 2002/2003 and 2003/2004.

The Convener agreed that the undernoted item be considered as a matter of urgency in terms of Standing Order No. 52(3)(b) in view of the timescales involved.

IVCONFERENCE - "FIRST CLASS SUPPORT FOR FIRST CLASS COUNCILLORS"

It was reported at the Scottish Local Government's Information Unit was organising a Conference entitled "First Class Support for First Class Councillors" in Edinburgh on 22nd January 2002.

The Committee authorised the attendance of one member of the Majority Group, one Member of the Major Opposition Group and one member of the Minority Group at an estimated cost excluding travel and subsistence of 65 per delegate.

JULIA STURROCK, Convener.