Agenda item

To receive any comments and recommendations from other Council bodies which meet after the dispatch of this agenda.  Copies of any additional  comments made will be circulated as soon as they are available.

§     Resources and Performance Panel –  22 March 2016

§     Regeneration and Development Panel – 23 March 2016

§     Environment and Community Panel - 23 March 2016

§     Joint Employee Committee – 23 March 2016

Cabinet received the comments from Panels and the Joint Employee Committee on the reports.  Their comments were taken into account with the item on the agenda.

i)          Resources and Performance Panel –  22 March 2016

RP134 Cabinet Report:  Child Protection Policy

The Panel supported the recommendation to Cabinet as set out below:

1.         That Members approved the revised Child Protection Policy.

2.         That Members delegate authority to the Executive Director, Central and Community Services, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to agree amendments/updates to the Policy that may be required to ensure it remained compliant with legislation.

3.         That Officers take steps to ensure that the Council’s duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children is appropriate reflected in contracts, leases and licences.

RP135             Cabinet Report:  Staff Pay Award

RESOLVED:   That the Panel supported the recommendation to Cabinet as set out below:

1.         That an annual pay award of 1% be implemented with effect from 1^st April   2016.

2.         That the Authority continues its practice of matching the bottom point of PG13 to the lowest point on the National pay scales.  This will start the process of moving towards the expected level of the Living Wage by 2020.

3.         That discussions are held with recognised Trade Unions prior to the April 2017 pay award, to identify ways of fairly and affordably meeting the longer term Government target for the National Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

RP136             Cabinet Report:  Review Of Members Allowances

RECOMMENDED:      That the Panel supported the recommendations to Cabinet and Council as set out below:

1.         That Cabinet is invited to comment on the recommendations of the Panel and make onward recommendations to Council in order to set the levels of remuneration for Councillors with effect from 21 May 2015.

2.         That the Cabinet recommend to Council that the Scheme of Allowances be updated accordingly.

3.         That for the next four years, any increases in allowances be linked to staff pay awards.

4.         That the recommendation to delete the IT allowance is not agreed.

RP137             Cabinet Report:  Review Of Scrutiny Arrangements

RECOMMENDED:      That the Panel supported the recommendations to Cabinet and Council as set out below, and in particular recommendation 12, the second part ‘or alternatively that each member on a Panel be entitled to place at least one item as of right their choosing on each Panel agenda’, should be supported.

Cabinet is invited to recommend to Council the following:

1.         That the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee and the Scrutiny and Overview Liaison Committee are abolished.

2.         That the Audit Committee be decoupled from the Resources & Performance Panel, and reduced in size to nine members with a meeting schedule linked to key audit events.

3.         That the Resources & Performance Panel be renamed as the Corporate Performance Panel and its terms of reference be extended to provide for the Panel to consider the following:

·        Call-ins of Cabinet decisions;

·        Post implementation reviews of both major projects and significant policy changes/introduction of new policies;

·        Monitoring of the Medium Term Financial Plan.

4.         That the Terms of Reference for all Panels be amended to explicitly place a greater emphasis on ‘policy development’ of proposed policy changes and new projects/initiatives, incorporating, where appropriate, clear recommendations for Cabinet and Council to consider.

5.         That Council, Cabinet and the Panels move to a six-weekly cycle of meetings and that the programme of meetings attached at Appendix 1 be adopted for 2016/17.

6.         That in future years Panels elect their own Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

7.         That the recording of meetings be changed to provide for a more succinct summary of discussion, decisions taken/recommendations made and the principle rationale for the decisions taken.

8.         That additional Member scrutiny and policy development training be arranged to coincide with the introduction of the above changes.

9.         That the scheme of delegation be amended, delegating authority to Portfolio Holders to authorise the implementation of policy changes required as a consequence of the introduction of primary of secondary legislation by government.  Noting that Portfolio Holder delegated decisions are open to scrutiny and the call-in process in the same way as Cabinet decisions are.

10.       That the Democratic Services Manager and Legal Services Manager be instructed to draft the consequential changes to the Council’s constitution to give effect to the proposals outlined above.

11.       That the Task Group be invited to undertake a subsequent review of the Council’s constitution and the effectiveness of the changes made, following the implementation of the changes.

12.       That Cabinet and Council consider the minority proposal as to whether the position of Vice-Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Corporate Performance Panel be reserved to a member of the opposition parties, or alternatively that each member on a Panel be entitled to place at least one item as of right their choosing on each Panel agenda.

ii)         Regeneration and Development Panel – 23 March 2016

RD67:  Exempt Cabinet Report – King’s Lynn Strategic Land Acquisition

RESOLVED: That the Regeneration and Development Panel support the recommendations to Cabinet as set out in the report.

iii)        Joint Employee Committee Meeting - 23 March 2016

Pay Award 2016/2017

RESOLVED:  The Joint Employee Committee noted the recommendations to Cabinet as follows:

1.     That an annual pay award of 1% be implemented with effect from 1^st April 2016.

2.     That the Authority continues practice of matching the bottom point of PG13 to the lowest point on the National Pay Scales.  This will start the process of moving towards the expected level of the Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

3.     That discussions are held with recognised Trade Unions prior to the April 2017 pay award, to identify ways of fairly and affordably meeting the longer term Government target for the National Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

Comments received from Unison Members would be tabled at Cabinet prior to consideration of the Pay Award.

iv)        Environment & Community Panel – 23 March 2016 – There were no recommendations from the Panel.

Cabinet received the comments from Panels and the Joint Employee Committee on the reports.  Their comments were taken into account with the item on the agenda.

i)          Resources and Performance Panel –  22 March 2016

RP134 Cabinet Report:  Child Protection Policy

The Panel supported the recommendation to Cabinet as set out below:

1.         That Members approved the revised Child Protection Policy.

2.         That Members delegate authority to the Executive Director, Central and Community Services, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to agree amendments/updates to the Policy that may be required to ensure it remained compliant with legislation.

3.         That Officers take steps to ensure that the Council’s duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children is appropriate reflected in contracts, leases and licences.

RP135             Cabinet Report:  Staff Pay Award

RESOLVED:   That the Panel supported the recommendation to Cabinet as set out below:

1.         That an annual pay award of 1% be implemented with effect from 1^st April   2016.

2.         That the Authority continues its practice of matching the bottom point of PG13 to the lowest point on the National pay scales.  This will start the process of moving towards the expected level of the Living Wage by 2020.

3.         That discussions are held with recognised Trade Unions prior to the April 2017 pay award, to identify ways of fairly and affordably meeting the longer term Government target for the National Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

RP136             Cabinet Report:  Review Of Members Allowances

RECOMMENDED:      That the Panel supported the recommendations to Cabinet and Council as set out below:

1.         That Cabinet is invited to comment on the recommendations of the Panel and make onward recommendations to Council in order to set the levels of remuneration for Councillors with effect from 21 May 2015.

2.         That the Cabinet recommend to Council that the Scheme of Allowances be updated accordingly.

3.         That for the next four years, any increases in allowances be linked to staff pay awards.

4.         That the recommendation to delete the IT allowance is not agreed.

RP137             Cabinet Report:  Review Of Scrutiny Arrangements

RECOMMENDED:      That the Panel supported the recommendations to Cabinet and Council as set out below, and in particular recommendation 12, the second part ‘or alternatively that each member on a Panel be entitled to place at least one item as of right their choosing on each Panel agenda’, should be supported.

Cabinet is invited to recommend to Council the following:

1.         That the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee and the Scrutiny and Overview Liaison Committee are abolished.

2.         That the Audit Committee be decoupled from the Resources & Performance Panel, and reduced in size to nine members with a meeting schedule linked to key audit events.

3.         That the Resources & Performance Panel be renamed as the Corporate Performance Panel and its terms of reference be extended to provide for the Panel to consider the following:

·        Call-ins of Cabinet decisions;

·        Post implementation reviews of both major projects and significant policy changes/introduction of new policies;

·        Monitoring of the Medium Term Financial Plan.

4.         That the Terms of Reference for all Panels be amended to explicitly place a greater emphasis on ‘policy development’ of proposed policy changes and new projects/initiatives, incorporating, where appropriate, clear recommendations for Cabinet and Council to consider.

5.         That Council, Cabinet and the Panels move to a six-weekly cycle of meetings and that the programme of meetings attached at Appendix 1 be adopted for 2016/17.

6.         That in future years Panels elect their own Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

7.         That the recording of meetings be changed to provide for a more succinct summary of discussion, decisions taken/recommendations made and the principle rationale for the decisions taken.

8.         That additional Member scrutiny and policy development training be arranged to coincide with the introduction of the above changes.

9.         That the scheme of delegation be amended, delegating authority to Portfolio Holders to authorise the implementation of policy changes required as a consequence of the introduction of primary of secondary legislation by government.  Noting that Portfolio Holder delegated decisions are open to scrutiny and the call-in process in the same way as Cabinet decisions are.

10.       That the Democratic Services Manager and Legal Services Manager be instructed to draft the consequential changes to the Council’s constitution to give effect to the proposals outlined above.

11.       That the Task Group be invited to undertake a subsequent review of the Council’s constitution and the effectiveness of the changes made, following the implementation of the changes.

12.       That Cabinet and Council consider the minority proposal as to whether the position of Vice-Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Corporate Performance Panel be reserved to a member of the opposition parties, or alternatively that each member on a Panel be entitled to place at least one item as of right their choosing on each Panel agenda.

ii)         Regeneration and Development Panel – 23 March 2016

RD67:  Exempt Cabinet Report – King’s Lynn Strategic Land Acquisition

RESOLVED: That the Regeneration and Development Panel support the recommendations to Cabinet as set out in the report.

iii)        Joint Employee Committee Meeting - 23 March 2016

Pay Award 2016/2017

RESOLVED:  The Joint Employee Committee noted the recommendations to Cabinet as follows:

1.     That an annual pay award of 1% be implemented with effect from 1^st April 2016.

2.     That the Authority continues practice of matching the bottom point of PG13 to the lowest point on the National Pay Scales.  This will start the process of moving towards the expected level of the Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

3.     That discussions are held with recognised Trade Unions prior to the April 2017 pay award, to identify ways of fairly and affordably meeting the longer term Government target for the National Living Wage to equate to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

Comments received from Unison Members would be tabled at Cabinet prior to consideration of the Pay Award.

iv)        Environment & Community Panel – 23 March 2016 – There were no recommendations from the Panel.