Policy And Resources Committee - 16/10/2006

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th October, 2006.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Jill SHIMI, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 11th September 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION 2006/2007

There was submitted Joint Report No 571-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Corporate Planning) and Director of Leisure and Communities relative to the above.

The Committee noted the process for allocating small grants through the Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding arrangements detailed below:-

II COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES 2006/2007

There was submitted Joint Report No 570-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning and the Director of Leisure and Communities relative to the above.

The Committee noted the process for allocating funding through Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals detailed below:-

III ORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE - SUPPORTED TOOTHBRUSHING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND NURSERY SCHOOLS

There was submitted Report No 580-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) making reference to Article III of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 16th May 2004.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the continuing programme of supported toothbrushing in primary schools;

(ii) note the programme of supported toothbrushing in nursery schools; and

(iii) remit the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) to produce an update report in June 2007 stating progress made in achieving agreed targets with partner organisations.

IV REDUCING SMOKING IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

There was submitted Report No 578-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) making reference to Article I of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 30th June 2003.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the continuing programme of smoking prevention for young people;

(ii) approve the expansion of the smoking prevention programme; and

(iii) remit the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) to produce an update report in June 2007 stating progress made in achieving agreed targets.

V AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 28(1) - RECEPTION OF DEPUTATIONS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN327-2006 making reference to Article II of the minute of meeting of the Development Quality Committee of 25th September, 2006, wherein the Committee agreed that, it would not hear any requests for deputations unless they both related to an objection competently and timeously lodged by the deputation and had been timeously made five clear days before the meeting. It further agreed that the Policy and Resources Committee be asked to amend Standing Order 28(1) to read:-

"All applications requesting the Council to receive a deputation shall be in writing, duly signed, addressed and, where possible, delivered to the Chief Executive at least five clear working days prior to the date of the meeting at which the subject may be considered. Any later requests for deputations to be received shall be reported to the meeting and shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the remainder of this Standing Order, except in the case of the Development Quality Committee where no later requests for deputations will be considered or reported."

The Committee approved this amendment to Standing Order 28(1).

VI ANNUAL CONSUMER SURVEY 2006

There was submitted Report No 568-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) summarising the main findings from the 2006 Annual Consumer Survey.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the results contained in the report and agree that the issues raised should continue to be addressed as part of the Council's commitment to continuous improvement; and

(ii) authorise officers to publish the report on the Council's website and distribute copies to partner organisations and representative bodies as part of the Council's commitment to Public Performance Reporting.

VII SUPPLY OF IT EQUIPMENT - OGC CATALIST

There was submitted Report No 588-2006 by the Head of Information Technology, advising the Committee of IT Equipment purchased under the OGC Catalist Government Procurement Scheme (formerly known as GCAT).

The Committee agreed to:

(i) note the IT purchases amounting to 245,197 detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, covering the period 25th May to 27th September of financial year 2006/2007; and

(ii) approve ongoing engineering maintenance costs of 17,781 per annum for the abovementioned purchases.

VIII SCOTTISH CLIMATE CHANGE DECLARATION

There was submitted Report No 546-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning), recommending that the Council signs up to the Scottish Climate Change Declaration and participates in the launch of the Declaration.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) sign up to the Scottish Climate Change Declaration as set out in Appendix 1 to this report;

(ii) participate, along with the Scottish Executive and other local authorities, in a public launch of the Declaration which is likely to take place in the near future; and

(iii) set up a short term working group chaired by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) to draw up a Climate Change Action Plan.

The Convener agreed that the undernoted item be considered as a matter of urgency in terms of Standing Order No 17(b) in view of the timescales involved.

IX CONFERENCE - A GIFT FOR LIFE?

It was reported that a Conference entitled "A Gift for Life?" organised by Children in Scotland in conjunction with North Lanarkshire Council would be held in Cumbernauld on 2nd and 3rd November, 2006.

The Committee authorised the attendance of the Convener of Education and Convener of Social Work, at an estimated cost of 335 per delegate excluding travel and subsistence.

Jill SHIMI, Convener.