Policy and Resources Committee 18 May 2007
From Nigov
Policy and Resources Committee Friday, 18th May, 2007
Contents |
MEETING OF POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Members present
Councillor A. Maskey (Chairman); and Councillors D. Browne, M. Browne, D. Dodds, Hartley, Jones, Lavery, Maginness, McCann, McCausland, O'Reilly, Rodgers, Rodway and Smyth.
In attendance
- Mr. P. McNaney (Chief Executive)
- Mr. G. Millar (Director of Improvement)
- Mr. C. Quigley (Director of Legal Services)
- Mr. T. Salmon (Director of Corporate Services)
- Mr. L. Steele (Head of Committee and Members' Services)
- Mr. J. Hanna (Senior Committee Administrator)
Apology
An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor Crozier.
Minutes
The minutes of the meetings of 20th and 27th April were taken as read and signed as correct. It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st May.
Financial Matters
Capital Programme Update
The Committee noted the contents of a report which provided an update in relation to the Capital Programme and agreed that briefings be held for each of the Party Groupings in order for the Members to be apprised of the current programme, any new proposals and the prioritisation of options in respect of schemes to be undertaken with a view to a new Programme being developed.
Special European Union Programme Body - Peace III Funding
Arising out of discussion of the previous matter, the Director of Improvement advised the Members that the Special European Union Programme Body was seeking expressions of interest in relation to capital projects which could be funded under the Peace III initiative. However, the deadline for submissions was 25th May.
After discussion, the Committee agreed that a list of the Capital projects which would be submitted to the aforementioned Body be forwarded to each of the Party Group Leaders and that a report on those projects be submitted to the Committee at its meeting on 15th June.
Hammer Community Multi-User Games Area
(Mr. A. Hassard, Director of Parks and Leisure, attended in connection with this item.)
The Committee was advised that the Parks and Cemeteries Services Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 11th October, 2005, had been invited by the Big Lottery (New Opportunities Fund) to submit an application for funding in respect of a floodlit polymeric multi-use games area on the Hammer Open Space. The Council had subsequently received in December, 2005 a conditional offer of £410,735 in respect of the scheme.
The Parks and Cemeteries Services Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 3rd May, had been advised that £239,509 only was available from the Big Lottery, leaving a deficit of £171,226. The Director of Parks and Leisure explained that, if the project were to be progressed, the Council had been requested to consider whether it would be willing to become a funding partner and meet the shortfall. The matter had been considered by the Sub-Committee and, whilst it was supportive of the need for this facility and the benefits which it would bring to the local community, it was cognisant that no provision had been made within existing budgets to support the work. Accordingly, the Sub-Committee had agreed that the Policy and Resources Committee be requested to fund the deficit of £171,226 associated with continuing with the project.
After discussion, the Committee accepted that it would be inappropriate not to proceed with the project and agreed to fund the deficit associated with the Hammer Community Multi-User Games Area and agreed also that it be included within the current Capital Programme. In addition, Committee directed that letters be forwarded to the Belfast Education and Library Board, the co-ordinators of the projects within the Council area, and the distributors of the Big Lottery Fund requesting that they meet with the Council to discuss the reasons behind the reduction in funding.
Political Processes and Members' Issues
Members Sub-Committee
Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Members Sub-Committee held on 14th May be approved and adopted.
Pathfinding Conference in Flanders and the Somme
The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Island of Ireland Partnership enquiring whether the Council wished to be represented at a Pathfinding Conference to be held in the Novotel Centrum, Icper, Belgium from 14th till 17th September, 2007. The draft itinerary included attendance at the Conference and visits to the Island of Ireland Peace Park, First World War monuments and ceremonies, the Ulster Tower and Guillemont. The cost per person of attendance was approximately £350 plus the appropriate subsistence allowance.
The Committee agreed that it be represented at the conference by the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Chief Executive (or their nominees), together with one representative from each of the other Party Groupings on the Council, and approved the payment of the appropriate fees and subsistence allowances in connection therewith.
Corporate Strategic Issues
Performance Management Improvement Agenda
Making a Difference Staff Awards
The Director of Improvement encouraged the Members to make every effort to attend the Making a Difference Staff Awards 2006/2007, which would be held in the City Hall on Thursday, 24th May.
Noted.
Year End Reports 2006/2007 and Departmental Plans 2007/2008
The Committee noted the performance which had been achieved against the key tasks set out in the 2006/2007 Departmental Plans for the Chief Executives, Corporate Services and Legal Services Departments and approved the Annual Plans for the three Departments for 2007/2008.
Good Relations and Equality Issues
(Mrs. H. Francey, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with these items.)
St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
The Committee considered a report which provided details in relation to the success of the Small Grants Scheme and the concert in the Waterfront Hall which it had approved to mark St. Patrick's Day 2007. The Good Relations Manager stated that the report had been considered by the Good Relations Steering Panel, which had recommended that the Committee grant approval for:
- the Small Grants Scheme for St. Patrick's Day to be continued in 2008 using the same criteria for funding and the same budget allocation of £30,000; and
- a concert to be held on St. Patrick's night 2008 in the Waterfront Hall along similar lines as in the previous three years, that is, in association with the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Ulster Orchestra, with a balanced line-up, and with the Council providing a sum of £15,000 towards the cost of the guest artistes, the venue and relevant technical requirements and some small-scale hospitality.
The Committee adopted the recommendation of the Good Relations Steering Panel and noted that 75% of the St. Patrick's Day Small Grants Scheme expenditure could be recouped from the Community Relations Unit of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
St Patrick's Day 2007 and Proposals for 2008: Outdoor Event
The Committee considered the undernoted report in respect of the evaluation of the St. Patrick's Day event 2007 and proposals for the 2008 outdoor event.
After discussion, it was
Moved by Councillor McCausland, Seconded by Councillor Dodds,
That the Committee agrees to defer consideration of the recommendations contained within the report until a further report providing details of the overall commitment by the Council on major cultural events and demonstrating how this equated to equity and respect for diversity among all sections of the community had been submitted to the Committee for consideration.
On a vote by show of hands four Members voted for the proposal and six against and it was accordingly declared lost.
The Committee accordingly adopted the recommendations contained within the report with six Members voting for and one against.
Good Relations Funding Applications
The Committee was advised that applications for Good Relations Grant-Aid had been received from seven organisations. The applications had been assessed using pre-agreed criteria and a schedule of the requests is set out hereunder:
|Organisation |Project |Recommendation | | | | | | | |£ | |Summer Madness |Streetreach | 5,000 | |Quaker House Belfast |Seminar for Quilt Project | 2,200 | |St. Patrick's Church |Inner East/Short Strand Summer Extravaganza| 4,100 | | | | | |Council for International Students |International Students Festival | 5,000 | |LINC Resource Centre |Mentoring Programme | 7,976 |
(Councillor Lavery declared an interest in this application but remained in the room while it was under consideration.)
|Forward Learning Limited |The Timewarp Project | 9,875 | |Barnardo's Tuar Ceatha (Rainbow) |Multi-Cultural Day Event | 1,300 | |Service | | |
The Committee was advised that the Good Relations Steering Panel, when considering the recommendations, had agreed that, in order to maximise the effectiveness of the Council's grants scheme, groups should be encouraged to seek portions of funding for elements of their proposals by developing partnerships through other funding bodies such as the Community Relations Council, the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland, or Co-Operation Ireland, where appropriate.
The Committee adopted the recommendations.
Draft Disability Action Plan
The Committee was reminded that, under Section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended by Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, Public Authorities when carrying out their duties had to have due regard to the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons and encourage participation by disabled persons in public life. Public Authorities were required to submit to the Equality Commission no later that six months after 1st January, 2007 five-year Disability Action Plans which would show how they proposed to fulfil the requirements of the legislation.
The Good Relations Manager reported that the Equality Commission had been contacted in respect of the tight time schedule for the submission of the Disability Plan and had requested that a one-year interim plan be submitted rather than a five-year plan. This request had been accepted and the approach had been adopted by all of the twenty-six District Councils. She submitted for the Committee's consideration the Council's Draft Plan and pointed out that, due to the tight timescale and the late issue by the Equality Commission of the final guidance, the consultation process for the Draft Plan would be eight weeks.
The Committee approved the Draft Disability Action Plan, agreed that any further consultations by the Council be of a three-month duration and that a letter be forwarded to the Equality Commission expressing the Council's concern regarding the tight timeframe which had resulted in a consultation period of only eight weeks.
New Migrants and Belfast
The Committee was reminded that Dr, Neil Jarman, Director of the Institute for Conflict Research, had been commissioned in August, 2006 to undertake research on migrants in Belfast, examining issues such as numbers, country origin, language, employment and residential patterns and national and European trends. A copy of the Executive Summary of his report, together with the recommendations made, is set out hereunder.
After discussion, the Committee authorised the Chief Executive to instigate a series of meetings with appropriate agencies and the Council's social partners to examine potential actions which could be taken to address the range of issues which had been highlighted in the report.
Policy Issues
Cycle to Work Initiative
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 20th April, it had agreed that a report on the viability of introducing a Cycle to Work Scheme be submitted to a future meeting. The Director of Corporate Services reported that the Department for Transport had issued standard guidance on the implementation of such schemes and it was proposed that the Council adopt the provisions of that guidance in establishing an employee scheme. The Department for Transport's scheme permitted employers of all sizes across the public, private and voluntary sectors to implement a tax exempt loan scheme for their employees. A summary of the key aspects of the scheme is outlined below:
|" |Eligible equipment includes cycles and cyclists' safety equipment. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) | | |has advised that a blanket group consumer credit licence will cover schemes for purchases up to a | | |maximum value of £1,000. | | |Tax exemption removes the charge that would otherwise apply to cycles and cyclists' safety equipment | | |loaned to employees provided that during the loan period employees use the equipment mainly for | | |journeys made between home and workplace, or part of those journeys. | | |To take advantage of the tax and NIC exemptions, an employer can buy a cycle and cyclists' safety | | |equipment, reclaim the VAT, make use of the capital allowances and loan it to an employee for | | |qualifying journeys to work. However, if the employer wishes to recoup some or all of the capital cost,| | |this may be achieved via the introduction of a salary sacrifice scheme. The Council already operates a| | |salary sacrifice scheme in relation to the provision of childcare vouchers. | | |It should be noted that there is no automatic entitlement for the employee to take ownership of the | | |cycle and equipment at the end of the loan period. However, the employer may choose to give the | | |employee the option to purchase the equipment at the end of the loan period. To prevent a taxable | | |benefit in kind, the employee must pay the employer a fair market value for the equipment. |
| |There is no fixed time period for which cycles and cyclists' safety equipment must be loaned under a | | |Cycle to Work scheme. Similarly, there is no fixed time period for which a salary sacrifice scheme must| | |run to offset the cost of loaning the cycle and cyclists' safety equipment. | | |Belfast City Council currently pays 20p per mile tax free to employees who use their own cycles for | | |business travel. Journeys between home and work do not qualify as business travel." |
The Director pointed out that the scheme proposed for the Council would aim to achieve full cost recovery: initial outlay by the Council would relate to the purchase of cycles and equipment but this would be recovered through a "salary sacrifice" arrangement with participants. In order to comply with the Consumer Credit Licence limitations, the maximum expenditure per participating employee must not exceed £1,000. He explained that evidence of the uptake of this scheme from other organisations, together with information which had been collected by the Council Travel to Work Survey, would suggest an uptake of between fifty and eighty individuals, which would result in a maximum initial recoverable cost of £80,000.
The Committee approved the establishment of a pilot Cycle to Work Scheme for the Council for an initial period of two years, subject to the necessary Legal, Human Resources, Procurement and Financial considerations being taken into account to ensure that the scheme remained cost-neutral.
Human Resources Issues
Personnel Sub-Committee
Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Personnel Sub-Committee held on 10th May be approved and adopted.
Single Status Implementation - Members Steering Group
The Committee was reminded that the Personnel Sub-Committee would cease to exist under the new Governance arrangements which had been approved by the Council. The Director of Corporate Services pointed out that, given the advanced stage which had been reached in the Single Status Implementation negotiations, it would be appropriate to consider whether a Members Single Status Steering Group be appointed to provide direction on issues such as Working Arrangements, Basic Grade and Craft Workers which were still under negotiation and which were likely to take several months to conclude.
The Committee agreed to establish an All-Party Members Single Status Steering Group to oversee and provide direction on the implementation of the Single Status Agreement.
Review of Current Staffing - Legal Services Department
The Committee considered the undernoted report in respect of the review of staffing of the Legal Services Department.
After discussion, during which the Committee commended the work of the Department, the Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed that the future staffing requirements of the Department be kept under review.
Accommodation and Hospitality
City Hall - Use of Accommodation and Provision of Civic Hospitality
The Committee was advised that the undernoted requests for the Use of Accommodation in the City Hall and the provision of Civic Hospitality had been received. An indication as to whether they fell within the criteria approved by the Committee and the recommendations thereon of the Head of Committee and Members' Services is set out hereunder:
|Organisation/ Body |Event/Date - |Request |Comments |Recommendation | | |Number of Delegates/Guests | | | | |Belfast City Council|City of Belfast |Provision of |The City of Belfast |Civic Dinner | | |International Rose Trials |Civic Hospitality in the|International Rose Trials | | | | |form of a Civic Dinner |will be held during Rose |Approximate cost £7,000 | |Parks and Cemeteries|16th July, 2007 (evening) | |Week from the 17th till | | |Services Section | | |24th July. The Trials are |Approximate budget | | |Approximately 200 Attending | |renowned worldwide for |remaining | | | | |attracting international |£191,900 | | | | |rose growers in addition to| | | | | |a significant number of | | | | | |visitors. | | | | | | | | | | | |This request meets the | | | | | |Council's Corporate | | | | | |Strategic Objective of | | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership.| | | | | | | | |Women's Aid |Launch of Prevalence Study |Use of City Hall and |This study seeks to |Use of City Hall and the | |Federation Northern |on Elder Abuse |provision of hospitality|highlight the key issues |provision of tea/coffee | |Ireland | |in the form of |being faced by vulnerable |and biscuits | | |14th June, 2007 |tea/coffee and biscuits |elderly people in our | | | | | |society. |Approximate cost £90 | | |Approximately 60 Attending | | | | | | | |Belfast City Council is |Approximate budget | | | | |committed to ensuring that |remaining | | | | |the needs of the older |£191,810 | | | | |people within our City are | | | | | |met. | | | | | | | | | | | |This event meets the | | | | | |Council's Corporate | | | | | |Strategic Objectives of | | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership | | | | | |and Improving Quality of | | | | | |Life, Now and for Future | | | | | |Generations. | |
|Organisation/ Body |Event/Date - |Request |Comments |Recommendation | | |Number of Delegates/Guests | | | | |Belfast Orangefest |Programme for Change - |Use of City Hall |The Ceremony would be the |Use of City Hall and | | |Award Ceremony |and the provision |first step in the |the provision of | | |Schools Art |of hospitality in |Orangefest |hospitality in the | | |Competition 2007 |the form of a |Programme of |form of finger buffet | | | |finger buffet |Change, the | | | |11th July, 2007 | |primary objective | | | | | |of which is to | | | |Approx 150 | |educate those | | | |Attending | |from different | | | | | |traditions and thus | | | | | |help to achieve | | | | | |a more tolerant | | | | | |Society. | | | | | | | | | | | |This event meets | | | | | |the Council's | | | | | |Corporate Strategic | | | | | |objectives of Good | | | | | |Relations | |
The Committee adopted the recommendations as set out in the foregoing schedule.
Interim Arrangements Relating to the Provision of Civic Hospitality Following the Decant of the City Hall
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 16th February, it had agreed a number of recommendations relating to the provision of Civic Hospitality following the decant from the City Hall. As part of the interim arrangements, it had been agreed that the Council would continue to offer a welcome to conference delegates and other visitors to the City by providing hospitality in the form of pre-dinner drinks receptions up to a maximum of £500, in alternative venues, with the organisations concerned being responsible for the sourcing and hiring of suitable locations for the holding of dinners.
The Head of Committee and Members' Services reported that in hindsight it had been acknowledged that that level of expenditure might not be sufficient. Rather, the level should be determined taking into account factors such as the profile of the event, the numbers attending and the overall benefits to be derived by the City. Accordingly, he suggested that it might be more appropriate if the level of hospitality to be provided in respect of each application were to be based upon the factors outlined. The amount would, of course, be included in the schedule of recommendations made to the Committee each month.
The Committee agreed to the removal of the £500 ceiling in the level of Civic Hospitality being provided by the Council at pre-dinner drinks receptions during the City Hall Decant.
Request to Relocate the Royal Ulster Rifles Korean Memorial in the Grounds of the City Hall
(Mr. G. Wright, Head of Facilites Management, attended in connection with this item.)
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 20th April, it had considered a request which had been received from the President of the Royal Ulster Rifles Association requesting the Council to consider allowing a granite memorial, which was located currently at its depot in Ballymena, to be relocated to a new permanent site in the grounds of the City Hall. The Committee had agreed, before taking any decision on whether or not to grant the application, that officers explore with representatives of the Royal Ulster Rifles Association whether it would be acceptable to locate the Memorial in the vicinity of the Cenotaph on the west side of the City Hall.
The Committee was advised that the President of the Royal Ulster Rifles Association had been contacted and while he had indicated that the preferred location remained the east entrance alongside the Royal Irish Rifles Memorial, the Regiment would be grateful for any location which the Committee could offer, which would include the Cenotaph area.
The Committee agreed that the Korean Memorial be located in the proximity of the Cenotaph on the west side of the City Hall.
Miscellaneous
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
The Committee was advised that a request had been received from Mr. William McKee, the newly-appointed Chief Executive of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, seeking permission to address the Committee on health issues.
The Committee agreed that a briefing session, to which all Members of the Council would be invited, be held for this purpose.
Provision of Defibrillators in Council Premises
In accordance with Notice on the Agenda, Councillor D. Browne reminded the Members that a number of years previously it had agreed that defibrillators be provided in the City Hall and the Cecil Ward Building. While that decision did not appear to have been implemented he suggested that it would be appropriate if the Council were to provide defibrillators on all of its premises.
After discussion, the Committee agreed to this course of action and directed that a report on the cost of the equipment, the properties on which they would be located and the training which staff would be required to undertake be submitted to the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Council scheduled to be held on 15th June. In addition, the Committee agreed that an examination be conducted with immediate effect into the status of all equipment within the Council's Occupation Health Unit and that any equipment judged not to be sufficient to meet the latest standards be replaced without delay.
Chairman
