Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Board meeting held on 21 November 2013.

It was AGREED that the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Board held on 21 November 2013 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

There were no declarations of interest or disclosures of advice or directions made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Resources which invites members to review the Board’s work programme for 2013/14 and to give initial consideration to a draft work programme for 2014/15.

The Board considered a report by the Director of Finance and Resources, which invited members to review the Board's work programme for 2013/14 and consider a draft programme for 2014/15.

It was AGREED that:-

(a)       members be requested to e-mail any suggestions for inclusion in the 2014/15 work programme to the Chairman (with a copy to the Director of Finance and Resources) by the next Board meeting on 20 March 2014;

(b)       it be noted that arrangements had been made for each of the remaining  portfolio holders to attend meetings as follows:

Public Protection – 20 March 2014;

 Leisure and Community – 3 July 2014;

Strategic Planning and Environment – 20 November 2014;

Policy and Resources – 19 March 2015;

(c)       Councillor Whittle, in conjunction with the officers, prepare a draft scoping report on the unassigned item ‘Question and answer session with Solent Local Enterprise Partnership’ on the current work programme and that, subject to the Chairman’s approval, the report be submitted to a future meeting or the Board to enable members to decide what areas the LEP would be invited to discuss;

(d)       the officers be requested to advise the Board when it would be appropriate to consider the other unassigned item on the current work programme ‘Review of the implementation of the universal credit system and its impact on the residents of Fareham’; and that it be noted that a Welfare Reform Update report had been submitted to the last meeting of the Health and Housing Policy Development and Review Panel;

(e)       it be noted that Councillor A Mandry was the Council’s representative on the PUSH (Partnership for Urban South Hampshire) Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that its meetings (and those of the PUSH Joint Committee) were open to the public; that it also be noted that the dates of meetings of both were included on the 2014/15 schedule of meetings submitted to the Council on 12 December 2013; and that the dates of the PUSH Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings be included in the minutes – 4 February 2014; 13 May 2014; 9 September 2014; 18 November 2014; 3 February 2015;

(f)        an agenda item be added to future meetings of the Board as appropriate to enable members to consider the minutes of the meetings of the Portchester Crematorium Joint Committee which were circulated to them.

(g)       the Director of Finance and Resources be requested to ask the clerk to the Portchester Crematorium Joint Committee to circulate the report on the impact of the opening of the crematorium in Havant due to be submitted to the Joint Committee later in 2014 to the constituent authorities’ overview and scrutiny committees;

(h)      members be requested to e-mail to the Chairman prior to the next meeting of the Board any further suggestions from the list of external organisations shown in Appendix B to the report to be invited to attend a future meeting of the Board to answer members’ questions;

(i)        subject to the above, the provisional work programme shown in paragraph 10 of the report be noted;

(j)         the progress on actions since the last meeting of the Board, as shown in Appendix C to the report, be noted; and

(k)       the programme of items for 2013/14, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be noted.

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Finance Strategy, Capital Programme, Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2014/15.

The Board considered a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Finance Strategy, Capital Programme, Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2014/15.

The Director of Finance and Resources advised that he would refer any proposals or comments of the Board to the Executive meeting on 10 February 2014.

It was AGREED that the report be noted.

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Housing Revenue Account Budget and Capital Plans 2014/15.

The Board considered a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Housing Revenue Account Budget and Capital Plans 2014/15.

The Director of Finance and Resources advised that he would refer any proposals or comments of the Board to the Executive meeting on 10 February 2014.

It was AGREED that the report be noted.

If requested by a member, to consider any item of business dealt with by the Executive, since the last meeting of the Board. The relevant Executive meetings are 2 December 2013 and 6 January 2014. (This will also include any decisions taken by individual Executive members during the same time period.)

The Chairman invited members to indicate if they wished to consider any further item of business dealt with by the Executive since the last meeting of the Board. There were no other items of Executive business considered.