Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they may have in respect of business on the agenda. None were declared.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 9 November 2018. Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the Committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be filmed and webcast, or recorded, including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts or, if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

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

This report provides Members with details of new petitions received to date, together with those considered by the Executive or relevant Executive Member/Officer since the last report to the Committee.

Members were presented with a report outlining petitions that have been received by the Council.

Officers updated the committee on petition 109, explaining that a meeting had been scheduled to discuss this petition. It was organised by the York Parent Carers and attended by around 25 parents alongside CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and Children’s Commissioners. The meeting was successful and it was agreed at that point, that more work should be undertaken on Multi Agency pathways and support for parents and carers whose children are awaiting assessment.

Members requested that an update be provided to the committee on petition 107 as its status was still reported as ‘to be completed’, despite having been received in July 2018.

Resolved:  That Members note the receipt and actions proposed in the report

Reason:     To ensure the Committee carries out its requirements in relation to petitions.

This report provides Members with further information on the administration and monitoring of Section 106 agreements, including an update on work done to date and future changes proposed.

Officers presented a proposal to procure a new software package to help manage the administration of Section 106 agreements.

Officers informed Members that the current system was complex and did not allow for easy interrogation or reporting. Officers explained that the suggested software would be more malleable, would assist officers in the day-to-day management of Section 106 payments and their allocation and would facilitate feedback to departments and Councillors on the status of specific agreements.

Officers responded to Members’ questions on the system’s capabilities, cost and what resource would be required. The committee was informed that the initial cost would be £15k with an annual payment of £4k and that a business case would be written for both the purchase of the system and the potential addition of a new staff member to assist the team.

The committee declared their support for the proposal and requested that they receive a follow up report in six months time.

Resolved:  Members are asked to note the information contained in this report and to advise if further reports are required.

Reason:     To ensure Members are updated on the administration of S106 agreements

This report briefly updates the Committee on the work to date of the Task Group appointed to investigate the progress made in delivering Financial Inclusion across the city and asks that a 19 July 2018 Motion to Council on Food Poverty be added to the review remit.

Officers updated Members on the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee review into financial inclusion. It was reported that one meeting of the appointed task group had taken place and another three meetings had been scheduled.

Officers also informed Members that following a Motion to Council, it had been suggested that food poverty be added to the remit of this task group. Members suggested the following be adopted as the remit of the task group.

Aim: To understand the impact of Universal Credit on the citizens of York and the activities being run to promote financial inclusion and to reduce food poverty in York.

Objectives:

i)             To ensure processes are ready and resilient enough to deal with the growing impact of Universal Credit;

ii)            To examine the low take up of the Council Tax Discretionary Reduction Scheme and how this is being signposted to potential customers;

iii)          To determine the drivers behind the increased demand on Discretionary Housing Payments and look at whether Financial Inclusion activities and resources can mitigate any causes;

iv)          To understand how the various initiatives aimed at addressing the cause of financial exclusion funded by the Financial Inclusion Steering Group are awarded and measured.

v)           To look at the impact of Universal Credit on families with uncertain employment patterns within a volatile employment market

vi)          To understand how the above issues are linked to apparently increasing levels of food poverty in York including work on the following:

-      the background to food poverty in York including any available local statistics and how local measurement might be improved;

-      the current role of crisis support in York in mitigating food poverty

-      a range of options for the Council and its partners to improve the city wide response to food poverty in York.

Resolved:  That the Motion to Council on food poverty is included in the financial inclusion scrutiny review and the amended remit is adopted to reflect this.

Reason:     To progress the scrutiny review into financial inclusion.

This report sets out the current position in relation to available Council funding for research in support of scrutiny review work.

Officers presented the annual budget for Scrutiny Support and asked the committee to consider the budget required for the 2019/20 municipal year.

During debate, Members noted that this budget is often unspent and the majority of Members agreed that this was not an issue, and that should more financial support be needed for a specific research project, additional funds could be requested from the Executive.

Resolved:  That the committee recommend the Executive retains the current budgetary support for external research and consultancy work.

Reason:     To address the committee’s constitutional right to comment on the setting of the Scrutiny Support budget.

Members discussed the current workplan for this committee and noted the number of task groups currently established. It was noted by all Members that there must be some urgency amongst task group members to complete reviews before the last meeting of the municipal year, on 11 March 2019.

Officers also informed Members of a suggestion that a scrutiny review into the reduction of single-use plastics be a joint committee review between CSMC and the Economy and Place Policy Development Committee. This would require two additional Members from the Liberal Democrat and Labour groups to undertake the cross party review. Councillors Looker and Fenton agreed to represent CSMC on the task group.