Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Evans declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Executive items 7 (Capital Programme – Monitor two) and 9 (Capital Programme Budget 2007/08 to 2010/11), in relation to the re-profiling of spending on the York Museums Trust scheme, as an employee of the Trust.

Councillor Kind declared a personal prejudicial interest in Executive item 8 (Revenue Budget 2007/08 to 2010/11), in relation to any discussion of payments to foster carers, which she received.  The payments were not discussed at the meeting and she therefore remained in the room for this item. 

Councillor Potter declared a personal prejudicial interest in Executive item 8 (Revenue Budget 2007/08 to 2010/11), in relation to any discussion of music tuition fees, which she paid for her daughter.  The fees were not discussed at the meeting and she therefore remained in the room for this item. 

Councillor Simpson-Laing declared a personal prejudicial interest in Executive item 8 (Revenue Budget 2007/08 to 2010/11), in relation to any discussion of music tuition fees, which she paid for her daughter.  The fees were not discussed at the meeting and she therefore remained in the room for this item.  She also declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Executive item 7 (Capital Programme – Monitor Two), as she lived opposite one of the sites providing a capital receipt. 

To consider the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following:

Appendix 7 to Agenda Item 6 (Employment and Pay in York) on the grounds that it contains information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.  This information is classed as exempt under paragraph 2 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

RESOLVED:             That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following:

                                    Annex B to Executive Item 7 (Capital Programme – Monitor Two) (minute 137 refers) and Annex 6 to Executive Item 9 (Capital Programme Budget 2007/08 to 2010/11) (minute 139 refers), on the grounds that they contained information relating the financial or business affairs of particular persons.  This information was classed as exempt under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Appendix 7 to Agenda Item 6 (Employment and Pay in York) (minute 143 refers) on the grounds that it contained information which was likely to reveal the identity of an individual.  This information was classed as exempt under paragraph 2 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

To approve and sign the minutes of the Shadow Executive meeting held on 13 December 2006.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting of the Shadow Executive held on 13 December 2006 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Shadow Executive’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is Tuesday 9 January 2007, at 10.00 am.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

The Shadow Executive made the following comments on the Forward Plan at page 7 of the papers circulated for the Executive meeting to be held on 16 January 2007:

The Shadow Executive:

·  May require Officer attendance at the relevant Shadow Executive meeting/s in respect of the following items (current Executive dates in brackets):

o Future of the Archives (30/1)

oEfficiency Programme, including Strategic Procurement Programme (30/1)

oInformation Governance Strategy (30/1)

oCorporate Asset Management Plan (30/1)

oThin Client/Competition Strategy (13/2)

oFuture of Connexions Service (13/2)

o York Central/British Sugar Action Plan (13/2)

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 6 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 9.  The report provided details of the headline performance issues from the performance monitor session held on the 21^st December 2006, presented the latest projection of the Council’s revenue income and expenditure for the current year, and asked the Executive to consider requests for virements and supplementary estimates.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Note the report.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 7 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 85.  The report informed the Executive of the likely outturn position of the Council’s 2006/07 Capital Programme, based on the spend profile and information to November 2006, sought approval for slippage and presented options to fund overspends.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Note the report.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 8 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 103.  The report presented the Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2007/08 and detailed the potential financial position for the Council in 2008/09 and 2009/10.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, and questioned officers present at the meeting the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Reserve their position until Budget Council.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 9 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 195.  The report set out the Council’s proposed capital budget for the period 2007/08 to 2010/11, highlighted capital bids from departments that had been through the revised Capital Resource Allocation Model (CRAM) process and provided options to allow the Council to achieve a balanced four year capital programme.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Reserve their position until Budget Council.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 10 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 221.  The report asked the Executive to recommend to Full Council the proposed Prudential Indicators for 2007/08 to 2010/11, an integrated Treasury Management Strategy Statement, and the use of Lender Options Borrower Options (LOBOs) for debt restructure purposes.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Note the report.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 11 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 239.  The report asked the Executive to consider recommending to Full Council an amendment to the Council’s Constitution, to enable the Monitoring Officer to review, monitor and amend the Constitution more effectively in the longer term.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Support the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 12 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 16 January, at page 245.  The report asked the Executive to consider which of the political groups should be invited to appoint the Lord Mayor for the municipal year 2007/2008.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Note the report.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

To receive a briefing report on employment and pay in York.

The Shadow Executive received a briefing report on employment and pay in York. 

The report provided information on the occupations of employees in the city in 2006 and the numbers of people employed in different industries, and showed how that picture had altered over the past decade.  Regional and national data was presented to place York within a broader context.  Pay data and the types of new jobs that were emerging in the local economy in the 21st Century were also presented together with an analysis of the skills needs of the local economy both now and in the future.

Representatives from York & North Yorkshire Business Link, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Unison and the GMB attended the meeting to contribute to the discussion.

Matters covered in the discussion included what the Council could do to address the decline of the manufacturing base in York’s economy, how the skills gap could be resolved, and issues relating to low levels of pay, particularly for women, and a high cost of living.

The Shadow Executive recorded their thanks to officers for preparing the report and to the representatives for attending the meeting.  [Additional wording agreed at the meeting on 21/1/07]

RESOLVED:             That the briefing and discussion be noted.