Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

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

The Executive Member was invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests he might have in the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Corporate Services held on 1 February 2011.

RESOLVED:That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 1 February 2011 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Monday 18 April 2011.

Members of the public may register to speak on:-

• An item on the agenda
• An issue within the Executive Member’s remit
• An item that has been published on the Information Log since the last session.

It was reported that there were no registrations to speak under the council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To consider excluding the press and public from the meeting during consideration of Annex B of agenda item 5  “Bad Debt Write Off Report – Period January to March 2011” on the grounds that it contains information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.  This information is classed as exempt under Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

RESOLVED:That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Annex B of agenda item 5 “Bad Debt Write Off Report – Period January to March 2011” on the grounds that it contains information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.  This information is classed as exempt under Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

This report presents to the Executive Member the irrecoverable accounts in respect of Council Tax (CT), National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR), Sundry Debtors and Housing Benefit overpayment for write-off covering the period 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011.

RESOLVED:That the write off of bad debt, as set out at Table 1 of the report and in Annex B of the report, be approved.

REASON:      To remove irrecoverable bad debt from the council’s accounts in accordance with accountancy best practice.

The Executive Member received a report that presented the irrecoverable accounts in respect of Council Tax (CT), National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR), Sundry Debtors and Housing Benefit overpayment for write-off covering the period 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011.

The Executive Member was asked to consider whether to write-off the over £5k accounts in line with the council’s Financial Regulations, or to leave the accounts on the council’s accounts.

The Executive Member stated that he was pleased to note that the fact that a debt had been written off did not mean that the council would not, where possible, try to recover it at a later date.  In this quarter in excess of £9k of debt had been written back onto the accounts.

RESOLVED:That the write off of bad debt, as set out at Table 1 of the report and in Annex B of the report, be approved.

REASON:      To remove irrecoverable bad debt from the council’s accounts in accordance with accountancy best practice.

The Executive Member stated that, as this would be his final Decision Session, he wished to place on record his thanks to officers within the Directorate of Customer and Business Support Services for their hard work.  The reports that had been considered at the Decision Sessions had been very well presented and this had contributed significantly to the smooth running of the meetings.