Agenda and minutes

The Chair informed the Panel that the meeting was being broadcast live on You Tube.

The recording of the meeting is available at:   

https://www.youtube.com/user/WestNorfolkBC

The Democratic Services Officer conducted a roll call to confirm attendees.

RESOLVED:  Councillor P Beal. be appointed Vice-Chair for the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

To approve the minutes from the Corporate Performance Panel held on 2 March 2020.

RESOLVED:  The minutes of the meeting held on 2 March 2020 were agreed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:

·         Councillor L Bambridge as substitute for Councillor Ayres.

·         Apologies received from Councillor B Ayres.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on any item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposed to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Chair informed those present that there was an item of exempt item of urgent business which would be considered after Agenda Item 13.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before a decision on that item is taken.

Councillors L Bambridge, C Joyce, C Morley, A Ryves and M de Whalley.

There was no Chair’s correspondence.

The Assistant Director, Central Services will give an update.

The Assistant Director, Central Services provided an overview on the current situation following lockdown and the impact on the Panel Work Programme.

The Chair advised that the Recovery Plan would be presented to a Joint Panel Meeting on 25 June prior to Cabinet on 30 June 2020.

The Panel will receive a presentation from the Procurement Officer.

The Panel received a presentation from the Procurement Officer (copy circulated with the Agenda).

Following the presentation, the Panel was invited to ask questions/comment.

Councillors C Morley and A Ryves addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.

The Chair thanked the Procurement Officer for his detailed and informative presentation.

The Procurement Officer responded to questions relating to:

·         What measures the Council undertook to prevent fraudulent invoices and payment and monitoring procedures in place.

·         Length of existing contractors and potential for extension clause.

·         Total procurement spend locked into long term contracts.

·         Refuse Collection Contract and criteria for joining with other councils to achieve economies of scale.

·         Lift Maintenance contract and consideration of Norfolk wide contract

·         CFPS Centre of Excellence – independent assessment of unit.  The Procurement Officer undertook to discuss with his Line Manager and Senior Management to consider whether the Council be subject to an independent assessment of the procurement unit.

·         Opportunities for Joint Procurement – the Chief Executive gave an example of the Bank Tender across whole of Norfolk which included Norfolk County Council and all district councils.

·         Examples of Contractors open to Members for scrutiny.

·         Disaggregation – definition of term not acceptable.  

·         2015 Regulations.

·         Thresholds – calculation of figures in Euros and converted to pounds sterling on 1 January every other year and fixed for two years.

·         Joint Ventures.

·         Wholly owned subsidiary companies

·         King’s Lynn Innovation Centre.

·         Borough Council’s process in place to enable challenge of procurement decisions/evaluation.

·         Borough Council’s in-house supplier and procurement process in place.

·         Borough Council provide a Procurement advice service to Boston Borough Council.

The Chair informed the Panel that Members could request that more details be provided of specific contracts if required at a future Panel meeting.

The Assistant to the Chief Executive presented the report and highlighted the indicators that had not met target set out in the Action Report attached to report. 

Recovery Strategy and new indicators 25 June 2020.

There were no questions from Panel.

Councillor C Morley and Ryves addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34. The Assistant to the Chief Executive responded to questions in relation to:

·         The Q4 indicators would be published in the Agenda for the Joint Panel Meeting on 25 June 2020. More meaningful indicators would be presented to the Corporate Performance Panel to enable monitor recovery in different areas.

·         Norfolk County Council metrics dashboard which demonstrated a good example of presenting data.

·         Refresh of Indicators.

·         LD8 council tax collection rates.

The Chair congratulated the Assistant to the Chief Executive and her team on the work being undertaken relating to the corporate performance monitoring.

RESOLVED:  The Panel:

1)            Reviewed the performance monitoring report.

2)            Agreed the actions outlined in the action report.

The Solicitor outlined the proposed amendments to the Virtual Meetings Standing Orders and drew attention to the following sections:

•           Section 3 – Amendment of Standing Orders.

•           Section 4 – Meetings of the Council.

•           Section 6 - Members in remote attendance.

•           Section 9 – Remote Attendance by Members of the Public.

•           Section 17 – Voting.

•           Section 20 – Interests of Members and Officers in contracts and other matters.

•           Standing Order 34 - Rights of non-members to attend meetings of Council bodies

The Solicitor invited the Panel to consider what to do if a Member drops out of a meeting (4.10 and 4.11). 

The Chair thanked the solicitor for her thorough presentation of the proposed amendments.

Councillors Joyce and de Whalley, Ryves addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.

The solicitor responded to questions in relation to:

•           Definition of remote attendance. 

•           Comfort breaks being scheduled in if required.

•           Example given of loss of IT and Member’s right to vote on an item.

•           Monitoring undertaken by Democratic Services during the meeting to ensure Members attendance and the meeting remains quorate.

•           Members of Public loss of IT and right to speak – representation can be read out to the meeting. Guidance note is available to the public attending the Planning Committee.

•           Loss of connection by Members during the meeting.

•           Proposed Amendment 4.11 – loss of audio in remote attendance, Chair to determine if that person carry on to participate in that item.

•           Public remote access to a meeting in accordance with Government regulations. 

            Councillors should be seen and heard in a remote meeting.  Length of broadband width in rural areas and access to meetings. It was highlighted that the regulations stated that Members have to be heard.  If practicable to be seen as well.

•           Provision for consideration of exempt items. Exclusion of press and public.  Councillors remain who are observing during an exempt item when livestreaming ceased.  Provision to be made in the amendments to Standing Orders.

•           Advice to Members attending under Standing Order 34.

•           Standing Order 20 Declaration of Interests.

The Panel adjourned for a comfort break at 5.05 pm and reconvened at 5.15 pm

The following amendments were debated.

Paragraph 4.10 

Councillor Moriarty proposed, in principle, an amendment on the recommendations to Cabinet. Seconded by Councillor B Ayres

“If a Member is deemed to have left a remote meeting pursuant of 6.5 of Standing Orders and later rejoins the remote meeting, the Chair may decide that Member is precluded from contributing to the debate or voting on any item of business during which they were not in attendance pursuant to Standing Order 6.5 taking into account the nature of the meeting, length of absence and presence or not of a written report.” 

The Solicitor to draft amendments to 4.10 for inclusion within the report to Cabinet which achieves the overall principle and intention that the Chair should have discretion to decide whether a Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item CP105

The Panel noted the Cabinet Forward Decisions List.

RESOLVED:  That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act, 1982, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Officers presented an update to the Panel and responded to questions/comments.

Councillors L Bambridge and M de Whalley addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.

Under Standing Order 34, the Chair read out a statement from Councillor A Holmes.

RESOLVED:  That the update report be noted.

To note the Panel’s Work Programme.

Reference was made to a Motion from Full Council – Freedom of the Borough which had been referred to the Panel.

RESOLVED:  The above item be scheduled on the Panel’s work programme and soon as possible.

To note that the date of the next meeting of the Corporate Performance will take place on 22 July 2020.

The next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel would take place on Wednesday 22 July 2020 at 3.00 pm via Zoom and available to view on You Tube.