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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Finance and Performance in Consultation with The Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods (for Agenda Item 4 – Household Support Fund)
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Date |
8 November 2021 |
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Present |
Councillors Ayre (Executive Member for Finance and Performance and Craghill (Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods) |
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36. Declarations of Interest
The Executive Members were asked to declare, at this point in the meeting, any personal interests, not included on the Register of Interests, or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that he might have had in respect of business on the agenda. They confirmed they had none.
37. Minutes
Resolved: That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 13 September 2021 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Executive Member.
38. Public Participation
It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak
at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
39. Household Support Fund
The Executive Members considered a report that presented the Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme to the Executive Member for Finance & Performance in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods for approval.
The Head of Customer & Exchequer Services explained the HSFscheme provided support payments directly to all qualifying families experiencing financial difficulties (as detailed at Annex A) and that residents could also apply. He also noted that a fuel voucher scheme formed part of the package of support that could be used for fuel bills and would be operated through third sector partners. The online claim form for the HSF scheme would be available on 15 November.
The Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods welcomed the scheme and funding from the government and was pleased that the funds would be given out as soon as possible, focussing on people in need. She was pleased that the funds could be used to respond to the increase in energy costs via fuel vouchers and she welcomed the evaluation and feedback on the scheme. The Executive Member for Finance & Performance thanked officers for their work and welcomed the scheme.
It was then:
Resolved: That;
a) The council’s Household Support Fund (as detailed at Annex A) be approved.
b) That the allocation of £20k in funding to fuel vouchers (as detailed at Paragraph 9 and Annex A) be approved.
c) The discretion to pay claims made within the broader scope of the scheme guidance as set out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (as detailed ay Annex B) be delegated to the Head of Customer & Exchequer Services.
Reason: To provide financial support to the city’s most financially vulnerable residents through the winter 21/22 during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.
[Cllr Craghill (Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods) left the meeting at 10.21]
40. Corporate Procurement Strategy and Social Value Strategy
The Executive Member considered a report outlining a number of minor changes and updates to both the Procurement Strategy (Annex 1) and the Social Value Policy (Annex 2). The Chief Finance Officer detailed the amendments to the strategy and policy. She advised that the Government had issued a Procurement Green Paper following the departure of the UK from the EU and the strategy would be updated following this.
The Executive Member then:
Resolved: That;
a) The updated Procurement Strategy attached at annex 1 be noted and approved.
b) The updated Social Value Policy attached at annex 2 be noted and approved.
Reason: To ensure procurement is based on sound principles and continues to deliver value for money outcomes, as well as ensuring the procurement process is robust and effective.
Cllr Ayre, Executive Member
[The meeting started at 10.11 am and finished at 10.20 am].