Agenda item

Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee – 22 June 2005

The following was agreed at the above meeting. The full minute extract  and Officer response is attached as appendix A.

Update on Public Sector Relocation (The Lyons Review)

RESOLVED:

                        That Cabinet be requested to set up a cross party working group and include relevant parties such as the Leicester Regeneration Company to look at how the Council should go forward in ‘selling’ Leicester as a relocation choice for public sector departments.

Councillor Scuplak to respond.

Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee – 27 June 2005

The following was agreed at the above meeting. The full minute extract and an officer response report is attached as appendix A1.

Scrutiny In Depth Investigations

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet be asked to consider the following points:

(1)That there be a stronger line on the resources which would be available when carrying out investigations,

(2)that when an in depth investigation is set up, officers be required to give all of the information requested by a scrutiny committee, unless there was a clear legal reason why this should not be the case, and

(3)that there should be an obligation on Cabinet to consider the findings of an in depth investigation , and for Cabinet members to attend meetings of Scrutiny to explain their responses to Scrutiny’s findings.

Councillor Grant to respond.

Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee – 27 June 2005

Lifelong Learning Budget – Report of Independent Accountants

The following was agreed at the above meeting. The full minute extract is attached as appendix A2.

RESOLVED:

                        That the following points be made to Cabinet:

(1)That there be a change in the arrangements for deciding whether a review can be carried out under delegated powers, such that members have a greater input,

(2)that future reviews carry out a mapping exercise in order to understand where costs and savings are coming from and going to,

(3)that there be a change in procedure rules in order that Cabinet be formally obliged to consider the comments of Scrutiny, either by formal or informal mechanisms, and

(4)that the Committee be provided with details of the number of people across departments who had been trained in accordance with the Prince 2 project management standard, and how many of these were managing projects at any particular time.

Councillor Coley responds to the points as follows:

(1)Involvement of Members in organisational reviews: on 13 June 2005, the Cabinet approved an action plan in response to the accountants' report which includes "Review Member role in future organisational reviews". The deadline is September

(2)            Costs and savings mapping: this is already a requirement in appropriate reviews.

(3)             Formal requirement for Cabinet to consider comments of Scrutiny: this could be addressed in the review of Scrutiny working methods which will soon return for further Member consideration.

(4)Details of officers with Prince2 project management training: the Service Director (Property ) is compiling this to circulate to Committee Members.

Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee – 22 June 2005

The Committee resolved the following at the above meeting.

Update on Public Sector Relocation (The Lyons Review)

-         That Cabinet be requested to set up a cross party working group and include relevant parties such as the Leicester Regeneration Company to look at how the Council should go forward in ‘selling’ Leicester as a relocation choice for public sector departments.

Councillor Farmer reported that work was being done to attract investment into Leicester, and that work would continue with all relevant agencies on moving forward.

RESOLVED:

(1)               that the Cabinet express their commitment to pursuing relocations to Leicester and to supporting relocating organisations,

(2)               that a Member Working Group be established to assess how the Council should contribute to the promotion of Leicester as a relocation choice for public services,

(3)               that the Working Group comprise the Cabinet Lead for Outer-City Regeneration (Chair), the Cabinet Lead for City Centre Regeneration and the Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Triumvirate, with invitations to participate to the Chief Executives of the Leicester Regeneration Company and the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership, and

(4)that the Working Group complete their work with a view to presenting recommendations to the Cabinet by November 2005.

Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee – 27 June 2005

The Committee resolved the following at the above meeting.

Scrutiny In Depth Investigations

That Cabinet be asked to consider the following:

- that there be a stronger line on the resources which would be required to carry out investigations,

- that when an in depth investigation is set up, officers be required to give all information requested by a Scrutiny Committee unless there was a clear legal reason why this should not be the case, and

- that there should be an obligation on Cabinet to consider the findings of an in depth investigation, and for Cabinet Members to attend meetings of Scrutiny to explain their responses to Scrutiny’s findings.

Councillor Grant reported that the resolutions of the Scrutiny Committee would be taken into account when the full report on the workings of Scrutiny was presented to Council in September 2005.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the current framework in place, through the political conventions, to deal with the concerns raised by the Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee be noted,

(2)that the issues be incorporated into the review of scrutiny, the outcome of which is to be reported to September Council.

Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee – 27 June 2005

The Committee resolved the following at the above meeting.

Lifelong Learning Budget – Report of Independent Accountants

That the following points be referred to Cabinet:

- that there be a change in the arrangements for deciding whether a review can be carried out under delegated powers, such that Members have a greater input,

- that future reviews carry out a mapping exercise in order to understand where costs and savings are coming from and going to,

- that there be a change in procedure rules in order that Cabinet be formally obliged to consider the comments of Scrutiny, either by formal or informal mechanisms, and

- that the Committee be provided with details of the number of people across departments who had been trained in accordance with the Prince 2 project management standard, and how many of these were managing projects at any particular time.

Councillor Coley responded as follows:

- Involvement of Members in organisational reviews: on 13 June 2005, the Cabinet approved an action plan in response to the accountants' report which includes "Review Member role in future organisational reviews". The deadline is September

- Costs and savings mapping: this is already a requirement in appropriate reviews.

- Formal requirement for Cabinet to consider comments of Scrutiny: this could be addressed in the review of Scrutiny working methods which will soon return for further Member consideration.

- Details of Officers with Prince2 project management training: the Service Director (Property ) is compiling this to circulate to Committee Members.

RESOLVED:

                        That the responses be reported back to the Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee Members.