Minutes:
(1) The Leader updated the County Council on events since the previous meeting.
(2) Mr Carter referred to the welcome appointment of Kent MP Greg Clark as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. He welcomed Mrs Waters back to the County Council following the Romney Marsh by election. He also congratulated Mr Scobie on a well fought election in Thanet South.
(3) In relation to local government finance, Mr Carter, referred to a South East Seven meeting which he had attended with Mr Simmonds and he gave the headlines from a talk by Professor Tony Travers. Mr Carter stated that as local government finance was one of the few areas of public spending that had not been protected it was assumed there would be challenging times financially for local government over the next 5 years. However, he stated that with the Medium Term Plan KCC was well placed to make the necessary substantial savings.
(4) Mr Carter referred to the LGA’s recently published document “DevoNext” which he commended to all Members. This document pitched for devolution to local government, in partnership with other public agencies within their area; with no one size fits all approach. Greg Clark MP had indicated that devolution would include County Councils as well as city areas. Mr Carter referred to the complex local partnership landscape including the proposal for a different LEP arrangement. Mr Carter mentioned the strong position Kent was in and the ground breaking work carried out in relation to health and social care integration and the recognition by the Department of Health of Kent’s role in vanguard projects such as the one in Whitstable.
(5) Mr Carter stated that he had spoken at the 20/20 launch, which was celebrating the success of the apprenticeship programme. He referred to the fact that nationally 20-22% of young people were not able to enter an apprenticeship training programme as they did not have a NVQ level 2 qualification. If Kent had the freedom to spend on skills training this was something that he would want to address. He emphasised the importance of evolving the Kent Infrastructure Growth Plan, which looked at ensuring that Kent managed growth and matched infrastructure funding and costs. This would ensure that Kent was well placed to have a dialogue with the Government on the Kent Powerhouse.
(6) Mr Latchford, the Leader of the Opposition, referred to the Leader’s comments on devolution, which he hoped would be included in the Queen’s Speech. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that additional responsibilities were given the appropriate funding.
(7) Regarding the stand alone Kent and Medway LEP, his group supported this in principle. He hoped that this and the related strategic economic plan came to fruition.
(8) In relation to skills funding, Mr Latchford supported the Leader’s statement about the need to improve funding and to ensure that the opportunity to increase employability options was open to all, not just young people. He expressed the view that careers advice was sorely needed as part of a properly funded service.
(9) Mr Latchford acknowledged that although the issue of Health and Social Care was showing signs of improvement there was still much to be done. He noted the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the need to engage with the health sector in debates about growth and future funding of health provision.
(10) Mr Latchford referred to the item later in the meeting on the Local Growth Fund, Governance Arrangements which he supported.
(11) Mr Latchford requested the Leader to do all in his power to ensure that KCC received adequate funding to discharge the responsibilities placed on it by central government.
(12) Mr Cowan, Leader of the Labour Group, stated that he was pleased to hear from the Leader regarding the potential for a Kent Powerhouse. He also welcomed the appointment of Greg Clark MP as the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. In relation to the proposed standalone Kent and Medway LEP, whist acknowledging that the current South East LEP was too big, he hoped that the Kent and Medway LEP was not too small.
(13) Mr Cowan emphasised the importance of a commitment on skills training as part of devolution to Counties and the need for Kent to have more innovation in industries with Discovery Park in Sandwich showing the way. The key to devolution was whether central government would deliver especially in relation to funding.
(14) Mrs Dean, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, referred to the general election and a petition that had been presented to the government in favour of proportional representation.
(15) In relation to devolution for local government, Mrs Dean stated that this had to be achieved with District Councils, economic organisations and businesses. There needed to be clarity on which powers would be devolved to which tier of local government. She stated that government had a record of delivering powers without the means to raise the related monies. She expressed concern about the proposal for devolution to be linked to an elected Mayor.
(16) Mrs Dean referred to the changes from the implementation of the Care Act and referred to certain private providers who were withdrawing from the provision of residential accommodation because apparently local authorities were not meeting their costs.
(17) In terms of the skills agenda, Mrs Dean referred to the increasing number of academies and free school, which did not have to deliver the national curriculum.
(18) Mr Whybrow, Leader of the Independents Group, express concern about the reduction in local government funding, potentially leading to local government only being able to deliver a diluted form of statutory services.
(19) In relation to Health and Social Care devolution, Mr Whybrow expressed similar concerns to Mrs Dean and the need for Government to provide quick decisions in relation to the Care Act.
(20) Mr Whybrow echoed the view of the LGA that further local government funding reductions over the next five years was not an option.
(21) In replying to the other group leaders’ comments, Mr Carter stated that in relation to devolution the most important thing was that Whitehall must break down the barriers and let local government devolution take place. This must be supported by adequate funding. He referred to the social care budgets and the implications of the Care Act, and in relation to residential care homes, he pointed out that the market was changing with older people preferring extra care housing to enable them to live as independently as possible.
(22) Mr Carter referred to a statement by Greg Clark MP about there being county as well as city devolution; he would see how this would be brokered with the aim of making sure that Kent was one of the first adopters. Regarding the LEP he would be sharing the case for a Kent and Medway LEP with Members shortly.
(23) In relation to Kent’s relationship with its District Councils, he stated that there would always be challenges in a two tier area, but all Councils were united behind the Kent and Medway Growth Plan. At the last Kent Leaders’ Group it was agreed that KCC would work with District Councils’ on a proposal for a combined local authority for Kent. He emphasised that it was important to make sure that there were effective relationships with all public agencies and business groups via the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership, and likewise via the Health and Wellbeing Board with Kent’s CCG’s, supported by a wilingness to work together to innovate and improve.
(24) Regarding the freedom that academies and free schools had in relation to the national curriculum, he stated that community schools should also have this freedom to innovate or to do things differently within certain criteria.