Policy And Resources Committee - 13/08/2007

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 13th August, 2007.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 25th June, 2007 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I MINUTES

(a) Personnel Appeals Sub-Committee of 18th and 25th June, 2007.

(b) Audit and Risk Management Sub-Committee of 18th June, 2007.

(c) Superannuation Investment Sub-Committee of 25th June, 2007.

(d) Best Value Performance and Efficiency Sub-Committee of 26th June, 2007.

(e) Recess Sub-Committee of 16th July, 2007 and 1st August, 2007.

The minutes of meetings of the above Sub-Committees, copies of which are appended hereto (Appendix I to Appendix VII), were submitted for information and record purposes.

II COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES 2007/2008

There was submitted Report No 409-2007 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 the funding through the Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals detailed below:-

III COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATIONS

There was submitted Report No 408-2007 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 small grants through the Local Community Regeneration Forum as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals detailed below:-

IV RELIEF OF RATES - CHARITY RELIEF

There was submitted Report No 412-2007 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) seeking authorisation to grant charity relief on the undernoted non-domestic property:-

The Committee authorised accordingly.

V REVENUE MONITORING

There was submitted Report No 410-2007 by the Head of Finance providing the Committee with an analysis of the 2007/2008 Project Revenue Outturn as at 30th June, 2007 monitored against the adjusted 2007/2008 Revenue Budget.

The Committee:-

(i) noted that the overall General Fund 2007/2008 Projected Revenue Outturn as at 30th June, 2007 showed an overspend of 11,000 against the adjusted 2007/2008 Revenue Budget;

(ii) noted that the Housing Revenue Account was projecting an underspend of 192,000 against the adjusted HRA 2007/2008 Revenue Budget;

(iii) instructed the Head of Finance to take every reasonable action to ensure that the 2007/2008 revenue expenditure was below or in line with the adjusted Revenue Budget;

(iv) instructed the Head of Finance in conjunction with all Chief Officers of the Council to continue to monitor the Council's 2007/2008 Projected Revenue Outturn.

VI CAPITAL MONITORING

There was submitted Report No 381-2007 by the Head of Finance appraising members of the latest position regarding the Council's Capital Expenditure Programme for 2007/2008.

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

VII DUNDEE AIRPORT TRANSFER - ADMISSION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME

There was submitted Report No 400-2007 by the Head of Finance regarding the admission of the new Dundee Airport Company to be operated by Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL) to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

The Committee agreed that the above body be admitted into the Local Government Pension Scheme administered by Dundee City Council subject to the condition that a subsidiary of HIAL was duly constituted and applied for an admission agreement.

VIII EUROPEAN UNION OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT

There was submitted Report No 413-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) notifying the Committee of the election of Mr Mike Evans, Manager of the Council's Employment Unit to President of the European Union of Support Employment (EUSE) and seeking authority for Mr Evans to participate in EUSE activities,

The Committee approved the participation of Mr Evans in the activities of the EUSE and congratulated Mr Evans on his appointment.

IX FLEXIBLE WORKING - POLICY AMENDMENT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN207-2007, whereby reference was made to Article II of the minute of meeting of the Personnel Committee of 12th December, 2005, wherein the Committee approved the Council's flexible working policy. The policy referred to the Employment Act 2002 which had reduced the right for parents of children aged under 6 (or 18 if disabled) to request to work flexibly.

The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 recently extended this right and the policy had been amended to include the following statement:-

"The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 extended this right to carers of adults."

The Committee noted that this amendment did not affect the operation of the policy as the Council opened the eligibility criteria for making an application to work flexibly to all employees from the date of the introduction of Flexible Working on 6th April, 2003.

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 3, 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

X RELIEF OF NON-DOMESTIC RATES ON THE GROUNDS OF HARDSHIP - (HARDSHIP RELIEF)

There was submitted Report No 372-2007 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

Kevin KEENAN, Convener.

APPENDIX I