Agenda and draft minutes

(1)   RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2011 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)   RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2012 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)   A full response had been provided to the decisions of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee on the Looked After Children report. 

(2)   Members noted that a breakdown of the costs of the academies programme to Kent in 2012/13 would be provided by the end of April after the completion of the Section 251 return which contained the details required to calculate the cost incurred to Kent. 

(3)   RESOLVED: that the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee note the follow-up items report.

(1)    The Chairman informed Members that following her query over the underspend in Road Safety as a result of higher numbers of participants in speed awareness courses it had been confirmed that the additional income was solely from the courses.

(2)   RESOLVED: that the notes of the Informal Member Group on Budgetary Issues held on Wednesday 18 January 2012 be approved as a correct record.

(1)   The Chairman informed Members that details on the £200k underspend in the ELS portfolio on Building Maintenance, paragraph 69 (3) of the notes was still to be received.

(2)   Regarding the returns from the disposal of property as a result of the move to gateways; Members had been informed that the gateway capital costs equalled £4.6million to date, the revenue cost of running gateways was £2.2million each year and the consequent savings to the authority of closing other access points was currently £524k.

(3)   In relation to the Oakwood House trading figures these had been received and during 2010-11 Oakwood House ran with a deficit of £185k.

(4)   Members had requested a breakdown of pensionable age by district; this had been provided and showed Canterbury with the highest percentage of people of pensionable age.  Dartford and Gravesham had the lowest percentage.

(5)   Members asked that further detail be provided on the staffing levels set out in the Government’s ‘gold plated’ standard for staffing Children’s Centres.

(6)   RESOLVED: that the notes of the Informal Member Group on Budgetary Issues held on Wednesday 14 March 2012 be approved as a correct record.

The Conservative Vice Chairman expressed his gratitude to the Finance staff for their input into the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee’s Budget Informal Member Group, the Chairman concurred.

The Chairman expressed her thanks to the Vice-Chairmen and to the Democratic Services Officers for their support to the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee.

The Chairman offered the Committee’s best wishes to Adam Webb in his new job at the London Borough of Newham.