Policy And Resources Committee - 12/03/2012

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 12th March 2012.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Ken GUILD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 27th February, 2012 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I ARMED FORCES COMMUNITY COVENANT

There was submitted Report No 78-2012 by the Chief Executive relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) agreed to adopt the Armed Forces Community Covenant set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

(ii) remitted to the Chief Executive to arrange a suitable event at which the Covenant would be signed and launched; and

(iii) remitted to the Chief Executive to discuss and, if appropriate, submit an application to the Community Covenant Grant Scheme in conjunction with the Dundee and Angus Firm Base Working Group.

II REVENUE MONITORING

There was submitted Report No 109-2012 by the Director of Finance providing the Committee with an analysis of the 2011/2012 Projected Revenue Outturn as at 31st January, 2012 monitored against the adjusted 2011/2012 Revenue Budget.

The Committee:-

(i) noted that the overall General Fund 2011/2012 Projected Revenue Outturn as at 31st January, 2012 showed an underspend of 125,000 against the adjusted 2011/2012 Revenue Budget;

(ii) noted that the Housing Revenue Account as at 31st January, 2012 was projecting a breakeven position against the adjusted HRA 2011/2012 Revenue Budget;

(iii) instructed the Director of Finance to take every reasonable action to ensure that the 2011/2012 revenue expenditure was below or in line with the adjusted Revenue Budget; and

(iv) instructed the Director of Finance, in conjunction with all Chief Officers of the Council, to continue to monitor the Council's 2011/2012 Projected Revenue Outturn.

III CAPITAL MONITORING

There was submitted Report No 99-2012 by the Director of Finance appraising members of the latest position regarding the Council's Capital Expenditure Programme for 2011/2012.

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

IV DUNDEE COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND 2011/2012

There was submitted Report No 110-2012 by the Chief Executive relative to the above.

The Committee approved the funding process and proposals contained in Section 5.2 of the report appended hereto (Appendix I).

V IMPROVING SERVICES THROUGH LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS AND SERVICE USERS

There was submitted Report No 65-2012 by the Chief Executive presenting a summary of the customer satisfaction research carried out by Council departments over the past year and highlighting some of the improvements which were being made to services as a result of feedback from users.

The Team:-

(i) noted the contents of the report and agreed that similar reports should continue to be submitted annually;

(ii) agreed to encourage departments to maintain their efforts to listen to and respond to feedback from customers and to identify any further customers who should be consulted with a view to achieving service improvements; and

(iii) noted that a project had been established under Phase 2 of the Corporate Improvement Programme to review how the Council engaged with its customers and that specific proposals be brought forward later this year.

VI LOCAL COMMUNITY PLANS 2012/2017

There was submitted Report No 113-2012 by the Director, Leisure and Communities relative to Local Community Plans (LCPs).

The Committee:-

(i) noted the rationale, structure and processes underpinning the development of LCPs;

(ii) recognised the high level of collaboration, co-operation and support between Dundee City Council, partner agencies and community stakeholders in the development of LCPs;

(iii) referred the Draft Summary Public Documents for publication, subject to approval from The Dundee Partnership Management Group;

(iv) agreed that Dundee City Council should continue to work with Public, Private and Voluntary Sector Agencies in partnership with local communities to address the long‑term aspirations, needs and issues identified in each LCP;

(v) referred the responsibility for monitoring the implementation of LCPs and the annual update of targets to the Local Community Planning Partnership for each area; and

(vi) instructed the Director, Leisure and Communities to report progress on the implementation of LCPs annually during the period 2012/2017.

VII RELIEF OF RATES - CHARITY RELIEF

There was submitted Report No 114-2012 by the Director of Finance seeking authorisation to grant charity relief on the undernoted non-domestic properties:-

The Committee authorised accordingly.

VIII HOUSING BENEFIT OVERPAYMENT RECOVERY POLICY UPDATE

After considering Report No 91-2012 by the Director of Finance relative to the above, the Committee approved the revisions to the Housing Benefit Overpayment Recovery Policy set out in the Appendix to the report, it being noted that the revision with regard to the weekly rates of deductions would come into effect from 1st April, 2012.

IX COUNTER-FRAUD REPORT - AS AT 31ST DECEMBER, 2011

There was submitted Report No 117-2012 by the Director of Finance informing elected members on the Revenue Division's Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Counter-Fraud activity as at 31st December, 2011.

The Committee noted the terms of the report.

X DEVELOPMENTS IN ADULT SUPPORT AND PROTECTION IN THE CITY OF DUNDEE - YEAR 3

There was submitted Report No 101-2012 by the Director of Social Work describing the developments in Year 3 of the City of Dundee Adult Support and Protection Committee since the first biennial report to the Scottish Government in October 2010 and developments in the national policy context.

The Committee noted the progress made in relation to the recommendations highlighted in the biennial report.

XI LOCHEE LEISURE CENTRE - ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CLOSURE

Councillors Duncan, Hunter, Gordon and Bailie Wallace declared non-financial interests in this item by virtue of being Council representatives on Leisure and Culture, Dundee.

There was submitted Agenda Note AN40-2012 intimating that to enable boiler testing, essential maintenance and a programme of deep cleaning to take place, Leisure and Culture, Dundee had requested approval to close Lochee Leisure Centre for the period from Monday, 19th March, 2012 to Wednesday, 28th March, 2012, both dates inclusive.

The Committee approved accordingly.

XII CHANGES TO HOUSING BENEFIT AND WELFARE REFORM

There was submitted Report No 118-2012 by the Director of Finance giving members an update on the effects of the UK Government's changes to Housing Benefit and the steps taken to inform tenants and landlords of the impacts of these Housing Benefit changes, together with an assessment of some of the wider impacts of the Welfare Reforms on the citizens of Dundee and the measures being planned to ameliorate their worst impacts.

The Committee approved the following actions to support Council and voluntary sector advice services to cope with the effects of the migration from current to new benefits system by returning to this Committee in or before September 2012 with a report, including:-

(i) an audit of the sufficiency and distribution of the provision of welfare rights advice agencies in the city;

(ii) options for three year funding for accredited welfare rights advice work funded by the Council; and

(iii) a plan for responding to the effects of devolved responsibility for Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants from April 2013.

and noted:-

(i) the effect of the changes to Housing Benefit contained in this report;

(ii) that in addition to the letters previously issued, approximately 500 further letters had been issued in December, 2011 to claimants identified as being affected by these changes, and 6,500 landlords were notified by e-mail of the potential changes to the Housing Benefits entitlement of existing and future tenants;

(iii) that further letters be issued to existing Benefit claimants to provide more information to those who were currently protected from these changes; and

(iv) the outline of some of the wider impacts of the Welfare Reforms set out in the report and the actions underway to assist and support people in Dundee to cope with these impacts.

XIII LIVING WAGE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN42-2012 intimating that it had been recently publicised that a majority of Scottish Councils were moving towards introducing a minimum living wage of 7.20 per hour.

Eleven Councils already paid their staff the living wage and six Councils had now confirmed that they would pay it from April this year, while another two had indicated their intention to introduce the living wage. The Scottish Government and its agencies already paid their own employees a living wage and encouraged all other employers within the public, private and third sectors in Scotland to consider doing likewise. However, Scottish Councils were separate employers and although Local Government Employees were subject to some terms and conditions negotiated nationally via COSLA, it was a matter for each Council to determine its own grade structure and rates of pay.

Councillor Guild, seconded by Bailie Sawers, moved that the Committee welcomes the commitment by the First Minister that all SNP run Councils will introduce the Living Wage for all Council employees. The Committee agrees to introduce the Living Wage and further that the Chief Executive will instruct appropriate officers to commence the necessary steps for implementation reporting back to Committee as to the commencement date for the introduction and also on the financial and other consequences of this decision. The Committee further agrees that the Chief Executive will enter into negotiations with external bodies who currently provide services to the Council.

As an amendment, Bailie Scott, seconded by Bailie Wallace, moved that appropriate officers be instructed by the Chief Executive to investigate all aspects of introducing a living wage within Dundee City Council including affordability, equal pay considerations, any impact on the single status job evaluation based grade structure, possible timing of introduction, etc, and report their findings back to Committee.

On a division, there voted for the motion - Councillors Guild, Barrie, Black, Bowes, Andy Dawson, Will Dawson, Duncan, Fordyce, Hunter, Lynn, Melville, Ross, Keenan, Asif, Bidwell, Ferguson, Gordon, McCready, Macpherson, Dick, Bailies Sawers, Wright, Lord Provost Letford and Depute Lord Provost Borthwick (24); and for the amendment - Councillor Hay and Bailies Wallace and Scott (3) - whereupon the motion was declared carried.

The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

XIV DOVETAIL ENTERPRISES

Councillors Melville, Hunter, Asif and Bailie Wright declared non-financial interests in this item by virtue of being Council representatives on Dovetail Enterprises.

On a reference to Article XI of the minute of meeting of the City Development Committee of 28th February, 2011, there was submitted Agenda Note AN41-2012.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

Ken GUILD, Convener.

APPENDIX I