Issue - meetings

(1)       The Committee considered a report which informed them of the forecast outturn against the budget for the Chief Executive’s Department and the financing items budget for 2007/08.  This report also included for the first time a provisional outcome analysis of the annual operating plan of each of the Chief Executive’s Department Units.  It was explained that similar reports on the annual operating plans would be submitted to the other Policy Overview Committee’s in September.

(2)       Mr Wood explained that the information provided on the analysis of the annual operating plan had been put forward by Officers and Members input was sought on how useful they found the way that the information was presented.  He also stated that Officers were looking out how business plans were put together and the process for linking Best Value Performance Indicators and value for money.  He stated that they were hoping to come back to Members at their September meeting with further ideas.  Ms McMullan stressed that Members input into the exercise that they were going through to review the business plan was welcome.

(3)       Mr Chard asked that his thanks be recorded to the Treasury Management Team for the excellent job they had done which had had enormous impact on the finances of the County Council.

(4)       Members referred to the key performance indicators relating to the response to complaints. It was explained to Members that the reason this came under Democratic Services was that they acted as a post-box for Corporate complaints, and ultimately the responsibility lay with the Directorates to respond to the complainant. 

(5)       Prior to a report to the September meeting of the Committee on complaints across the authority, Members requested that they receive a paper setting out the process for dealing with complaints on behalf of the Chief Executive.

(6)       Members asked questions around the cost of the localism agenda and the importance of balancing this against the benefits received.  The Chief Executive replied that the Officer cost within Democratic Services to support this was approximately £1m but there were also Officer resources spread across Directorates as a whole. 

(7)       The Chairman reminded Members that in order to set the agenda for POC meetings a cross party meeting was held with himself, and the Spokespersons. If Members had any items that they would like included on the agenda they should contact their Spokesperson.

(8)       RESOLVED That the projected outturn figures for the directorate as at the third quarter exception report be noted.