Policy And Resources Committee - 23/11/2009

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 23rd November, 2009.

 

Present:-

 

Depute Lord Provost Ian BORTHWICK

 

 

 

BAILIES

 

Willie SAWERS

George REGAN

Derek J SCOTT

 

Roderick A J WALLACE

 

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Ken GUILD

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

Laurie BIDWELL

Jim BARRIE

Stewart HUNTER

Tom FERGUSON

Jimmy BLACK

Ken LYNN

Brian GORDON

David BOWES

Craig MELVILLE

Richard McCREADY

Andrew DAWSON

Christina ROBERTS

Donald HAY

Will DAWSON

Alan G ROSS

Fraser MACPHERSON

Bob DUNCAN

Kevin KEENAN

Helen DICK

 

Mohammed ASIF

 

 

Councillor Ken GUILD, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 9th November, 2009 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME - ANNUAL REPORT

 

There was submitted Report No 522-2009 by the Director of Leisure of Communities and Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) relative to the above.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) approved the Disability Equality Scheme third and final annual report;

 

(ii) noted that the Council's corporate Disability Action Group would be re-formed to promote disability equality and progress priorities for action. Monitoring of actions arising would be carried out through the Online Plan Monitoring Database; and

 

(iii) noted that co-ordination of Equality Impact Assessments 'EQIAs', equality monitoring and training would be taken forward under the Council's Single Equality Scheme.

 

II RACE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY SCHEME - ANNUAL REPORT

 

There was submitted Report No 504-2009 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) and Director of Leisure and Communities relative to the above.

 

The Committee noted the progress made in applying the Council's corporate Race Equality Scheme 2005/2008 and approved the appended annual report - Race Equality and Diversity Scheme.

 

III DRAFT SINGLE EQUALITY SCHEME

 

There was submitted Report No 548-2009 by the Chief Executive relative to the above.

 

The Committee:-

 

(i) approved the draft Single Equality Scheme for Dundee City Council to allow consultation over the next six weeks; and

 

(ii) remitted to officers to publish the Scheme after consultation should there be no substantive changes.

 

IV COUNTER-FRAUD REPORT AT 30TH JUNE, 2009

 

There was submitted Report No 524-2009 by the Director of Finance informing elected members of the Revenue Division's Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Counter-Fraud activity as at 30th June, 2009.

 

The Committee approved the Counter-Fraud Performance Report.

 

V BALNACRAIG SCHOOL LTD - ADMISSION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME

 

There was submitted Report No 570-2009 by the Director of Finance seeking agreement to admit Balnacraig School Ltd to the Local Government Pension Scheme as a community admission body.

 

The Committee approved accordingly, it being noted that Balnacraig School had been an admitted body of the Local Government Scheme for over ten years but was changing from an organisation governed by a Trust Deed to a company limited by guarantee.

 

VI TENDERS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

 

After considering Report No 520-2009 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), the Committee accepted the tender submitted by T-Mobile to provide mobile communications services for the sum of 143,000.

 

VII IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES IN DUNDEE

 

On a reference to Article XVII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 1st July, 2009, there was submitted Report No 540-2009 by the Chief Executive relative to the above.

 

The Chief Executive intimated that paragraph 4.6 of the report should be amended to read "the enclosed Appendix is a copy of the progress report to be supplied to HMIe ahead of its visit to Dundee ........" and that reference to Scrutiny Committee in the Appendix had been included in error.

 

Thereafter, the Committee:-

 

(i) noted and approved the progress being made to improve child protection services in Dundee;

 

(ii) noted and approved the governance structures put in place by the Chief Executive and his fellow Chief Officers; the Chief Constable of Tayside Police and the Chief Executive of NHS Tayside;

 

(iii) noted and approved the actions taken by the Chief Officers to lead the ongoing improvement of child protection services in Dundee; and

 

(iv) approved the submission of the Child Protection Improvement Plan to HMIe.

 

VIII PROGRESS ON V & A PROJECT

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN240-2009 outlining progress relative to the above.

 

In addition, it was reported that in order to sufficiently resource the next stages of this project the partners had identified a need to contribute towards a working fund of 140,000 to cover the basic costs of this work. The partners were also contributing in kind through staff secondments and other services.

 

It was agreed that a contribution of 30,000 be made.

 

 

 

 

Ken GUILD, Convener.