Policy and Resources Committee 19 January 2007
From Nigov
Policy and Resources Committee Friday, 19th January, 2007
MEETING OF POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Members present
Councillor A. Maskey (Chairman); and Councillors Attwood, D. Browne, M. Browne, Cobain, Crozier, Hartley, Jones, Lavery, Maginness, P. Maskey, McCann, McCausland, Newton, O'Reilly, Rodgers, Rodway, Smyth and Wilson.
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 Members' Services)
- Mr. J. Hanna (Senior Committee Administrator)
Apology
An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor D. Dodds.
Minutes
The minutes of the meetings of 30th November and 8th December were taken as read and signed as correct. It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 3rd January.
Financial Matters
Revenue Estimates 2007/2008
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 4th January, it had approved the estimates of expenditure for the Policy and Resources Committee and determined the cash limits for the several Committees of the Council. The Director of Corporate Services reported that the Committees had now considered the estimates for which they were responsible and no amendments thereto had been made. Accordingly, the Summary of Income and Expenditure which had been agreed by the Committee for the year ended 31st March, 2008 would be as follows:
Summary of Estimates of Income and Expenditure for year ending 31 March 2008
|Year Ending |COMMITTEE |Year Ending | |31/03/2007 | |31/03/2008 | |£ | | £ | |18,039,730 |POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE |17,784,550 | |5,197,900 |Chief Executive's Department |5,491,140 | |190,020 |Legal Services Department |205,220 | |11,576,450 |Corporate Services Department |10,101,970 | |1,075,360 |Core Improvement Team |1,986,220 | | | | | |9,262,430 |DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE |6,993,750 | | | | | |45,634,400 |COMMUNITY AND RECREATION COMMITTEE |40,675,760 | | | | | |46,634,330 |HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMMITTEE |46,464,980 | | | | | |30,000 |TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE |30,050 | | | | | |119,600,890 | |111,949,090 | |(16,082,250) |Less Adjustments re Capital charges |(4,069,380) | |103,518,640 | |107,879,710 | | |Less | | |5,750,800 |GENERAL EXCHEQUER GRANT |4,495,640 | |97,767,840 | |103,384,070 | | | | | | |Less | | |1,000,000 |ESTIMATED CREDIT BALANCE |1,000,000 | |96,767,840 | |102,384,070 | | | | | |4,701,760 |ESTIMATED PRODUCT OF 1p RATE |4,837,630 | | | | | |20.58p |NON-DOMESTIC RATE IN £ FOR YEAR ENDING 31/3/2008 |21.16p | | | | | |0.011449 |CONVERSION FACTOR |0.011449 | | | | | |0.2356p |DOMESTIC RATE IN £ YEAR ENDING 31/3/2008 |0.2423p |
The Director reported that the overall net expenditure of the Council amounted to £107,879,710. After deducting the General Grant and the estimated credit balance, an amount of £102,384,070 would be required to be met by way of the District Rate. Based on an estimated product of a penny rate amounting to £4,837,630 it would be necessary to determine a Domestic Rate of 0.2423 pence and a Business Rate of 21.16 pence in the pound to meet the Council's estimated expenditure for 2007/2008. These figures represented an increase of 2.83% over the previous year.
Resolved - That the Council be recommended to approve the expenditure contained in the Estimates of Income and Expenditure, a summary of which is set out above, and further to this the following District Rate be fixed to meet the estimated expenditure of the several Committees of the Council for the financial year commencing 1st April, 2007:
Non-Domestic Rate - 21.16 pence
Domestic Rate - 0.2423 pence
Loan Transactions
The Committee was informed that loan transactions for the quarter ended 31st December, 2006 had been as undernoted:
|Loans Raised | | |
| Mortgages | |- | | Government Loans Fund | |- | | Lending Funds | |- | | Temporary Loans | | _ | | | |_______ | | |Total Loans Raised | - |
|Loans Repaid | | |
| Mortgages | |- | | Government Loans Fund | |- | | Lending Funds | | - | | Temporary Loans | | - | | |Total Loans Repaid | - |
|Total amount of Loans outstanding | |£69,086,168 | |at 31 December 2006 | | | | | | | |Less Investments and Cash in Bank | | 49,525,128 | | |NET DEBT |£19,561.040 |
Made up of:-
|Belfast City Council |-% | |- | |Transferred Services |100.00% | |£19,561,040 | | |100.00% | |£19,561,040 |
Noted.
Request for Funding - Common Purpose Belfast
The Committee was reminded that in previous years it had provided support in respect of the Belfast Common Purpose Matrix Programme. It was reported that correspondence that been received on behalf of Common Purpose requesting the Committee to provide funding for two bursaries, in the sum of £8,400, for the 2007 Programme and it was recommended accordingly.
The Committee adopted the recommendation and agreed, in order to assist the Committee in determining future levels of support, that an in-house evaluation exercise be undertaken to assess the extent and benefits of the Council's support for external development programmes such as Common Purpose.
Political Processes and Members' Issues
Members' Sub-Committee
Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Members Sub-Committee held on 15th January be approved and adopted.
Community Planning Workshop
The Committee was advised that the Council Improvement Board, at its meeting on 19th December, had agreed to hold on 19th February a half-day workshop to discuss the key City leadership issue of Community Planning.
The Committee approved the holding of the Community Planning Workshop, to which all Members of the Council would be invited, and agreed that attendance thereat be considered as an approved duty.
Good Relations and Equality Issues
(Mrs. H. Francey, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with these items.)
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 | | | | | | | |£ | |Mandarin Speakers Association |Chinese New Year 2007 Celebration | 4,075 | |Mna Cluain Ard |Community Leadership and Political Education | 7,000 | |Forthspring Inter-Community Group |Training and Development Programme | 10,000 |
|Belfast Exposed |Tales from the City | 5,500 | |Trademark |Community Leadership and Political Education | 7,438 | | |Programme | | |Féile an Phobail |Féile an Earraigh (Spring Festival) | 9,100 | |Northern Ireland Tolerance Educational Cultural |Dialogue Works | 1,850 | |Association | | |
The Committee adopted the recommendations made in respect of the applications for Good Relations funding.
Review of Good Relations Grant-Aid Fund Criteria and Assessment
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 18th August, it had agreed that Ms. Gráinne Kelly, Independent Consultant, be commissioned to assist in drawing up guidelines on good practice in relation to cross-community engagement. An executive summary of her report entitled Community Engagement, Good Relations and Good Practice had been approved by the Committee at its meeting on 20th October. In addition, the Committee had agreed that the guidelines be incorporated within the Good Relations Unit's review of grant-aid.
The Good Relations Manager reported that the scoring matrix had been revised, which would make the assessment of grants more robust under scrutiny and less susceptible to challenge. In addition, the associated guidance notes for Good Relations Grant-Aid had also been revised. In reviewing the criteria/matrix, Council officers had paid close attention to the guidance and information on best practice which had been provided by the Community Relations Unit of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the Community Relations Council, the Council's Internal Audit Section and the Chartered Institute for Public Finance Accountants, which had provided independent advice on financial procedures regarding grant-aid. She recommended that the revised criteria, scoring matrix and guidance notes be adopted and used in future grant-aid assessments.
The Committee adopted the recommendation.
Good Relations Plan for Belfast
The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to a Good Relations Plan for Belfast.
The Committee approved the Good Relations Plan for Belfast and agreed that the Good Relations Manager provide those Party Groupings on the Council who so requested a briefing on the contents of the final document.
Applications Made to the Local Strategy Partnership Under Peace II Extension Fund
The Committee was reminded that the Good Relations Unit had made three applications to the Belfast Local Strategy Partnership in order to draw down funding under Measure 3.1 of the European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland (Peace II) Extension 2000 - 2006. The Good Relations Manager reported that all three bids had been successful and that 100% funding, totalling almost £750,000, had been approved.
The three successful bids had been made under the theme of Building Civil Society and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. Brief details of the bids were as follows:
Addressing Divisions
A research project which would examine the cost of segregated service delivery in Belfast, profiling good practice in promoting inter-community work and building an integrated strategy for communities living and working at the interface.
Conflict Transformation Learning Consortium
An inter-disciplinary learning programme across the public sector to promote dialogue and training on the themes of conflict transformation and A Shared Future.
Towards a Shared City
The establishment of a Belfast Civic Strategy Forum to explore the concepts of local area community planning in a divided city, with particular reference to good relations.
The bids formed distinct but inter-linked strands and together represented an integrated approach to the task of conflict transformation in Belfast. The success of the bids was a significant boost to the Council's efforts to promote good relations in the City. It would consolidate much of the work in this emerging area and help to develop a coalition of interest around the theme of good relations in the City. The European Union funding would assist the Council substantially in its role in leading the initial Good Relations Plan for Belfast and contribute to the Council's aim of achieving a more stable and tolerant society.
The grant awarded included the payment of the salaries of five officers, that is, one Project Manager, two Project Co-Ordinators and two Project Administrators, who would be employed on a fixed-term basis for a period of eighteen months.
The Committee noted the information which had been provided and authorised the creation of the five posts as outlined.
Event to Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery
The Good Relations Manager advised the Committee that on 25th March, 1807 the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which had banned the transatlantic slave trade, had been introduced in Westminster. The campaign to abolish slavery had included activists from Belfast such as Mary Ann McCracken. The bicentenary of the introduction of the Act was being marked by a number of cities, including Liverpool.
The Good Relations Unit was proposing to hold an evening event in the City Hall on 26th March to mark the bicentenary. The event would acknowledge the important role which campaigners, such as Mary Ann McCracken and the owners of the Port of Belfast, had played in having the legislation enacted. The event would include drama, poetry and song relating to the issue. A number of organisations, such as the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, had printed information on the subject and this could be displayed in the Rotunda area of the City Hall. The commemoration would coincide with a number of smaller events which were being planned in Belfast to mark the anniversary. Representatives of a cross-section of groups would be invited to contribute to the planning of the City Hall event.
The Committee agreed, in recognition of the role which Belfast citizens had played in helping to have the legislation enacted, to the holding of an event to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.
Policy Issues
(Mr. E. Deeney, Head of Corporate Communications, attended in connection with these items.)
Corporate Identity Guidelines
The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to corporate identity guidelines.
The Committee adopted the recommendations, agreed that measures be put in place to ensure that the policy was implemented by all Departments of the Council and directed that any existing stationery would be replaced only when current stocks had been exhausted.
Communications and Information Officers
Arising out of discussion in the previous matter, the Committee agreed that a report on the number of existing and pending posts of communication and information officers who were employed, either fully or partially in communications, by other Departments throughout the Council, the justifications and reasons for their employment and the date those appointments had been made be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.when?
Advertising in City Matters and the A-Z Publication
The Committee was reminded that the Review of Communications, which had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st February, 2006, had recommended that the Council should review its Advertising Policy with a view to using City Matters more to promote events and services and to market advertising in City Matters to internal Departments and external public bodies. The purpose of the recommendation had been to consider ways of covering the cost of producing the magazine by using advertising as a means of revenue. In addition, the Review had recommended that the Council should produce an up-to-date A -Z of Public Services in Belfast showing clearly which public bodies provided the variety of services in the City.
The Head of Corporate Communications advised the Members that it was now proposed to produce both the A - Z, at no cost to the Council, and a pilot edition of City Matters which would cover its cost through advertising revenue. This proposal would result in savings of at least £28,000 in the production of the A - Z booklet and a saving of £34,000 on the issue of City Matters. If the pilot exercise in respect of City Matters proved to be successful, then the magazine could be produced on a no cost basis, resulting in savings of around £103,800 per annum for the Council for three copies per year and £207,600 if six copies per year were produced.
He stated that it was proposed also to introduce a new advertising policy which would highlight the types of organisations which would be targeted as potential advertisers and he assured the Members that the new approach would not have any detrimental effect on the magazine in communicating with ratepayers but would enhance the information which they received.
After discussion, the Committee agreed to:
- the production of an up-to-date edition of an A - Z Guide to be paid for by means of advertising;
- the production of the summer edition of City Matters with costs to be covered, as a pilot project, by advertising revenue;
- seek tenders from companies wishing to provide an advertising service for both projects;
- approve, on the basis that the City Matters pilot exercise proved to be successful, a tendering exercise for agencies to compete for the business of selling advertising space in the publication over a fixed-term; and
- approve the policy in respect of the type of advertising which would be acceptable in Council publications.
The Committee agreed further that advertisements be sought from Public Sector Bodies only in respect of the pilot exercises.
Legal Issues
Street Nuisance Bye-Laws
The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a report in relation to the introduction of Street Nuisance Bye-Laws to enable the Director of Legal Services to discuss the matter with the Party Groupings on the Council.when?
The Local Government Companies (Best Value) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006
The Committee noted the contents of a report (This should be requested under Freedom of Information) which provided details in relation to the making of the Local Government Companies (Best Value) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006, which was an interim measure, pending future and more substantive legislation, which would permit District Councils to be involved with external companies and give the Council the right to incur expenditure in relation to the company activities.
Human Resources Issues
Personnel Sub-Committee
Resolved - that the minutes of the meetings of the Personnel Sub-Committee held on 11th and 16th January be approved and adopted.
Single Status
Arising out of discussion in the above-mentioned matter, the Committee agreed that a full briefing paper on the Council's Management Side Final Position in relation to Single Status be forwarded to all Members of the Council and that a briefing thereon be provided to each of the Party Groupings prior to the Council meeting scheduled to be held on 1st February.
Accommodation and Hospitality
Requests for the Use of Accommodation in the City Hall and the 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 | | | | |Northern Ireland |International Conference |Use of City Hall and the|It is estimated that 300 |Use of City Hall and the | |Policing | |provision of hospitality|delegates will be staying |provision of a pre-dinner | |Board/Police Service|21st February, 2007 |in the form of a |in accommodation in Belfast|Drinks Reception in the | |of Northern Ireland |(evening) |pre-dinner | |form of wine/soft drinks | | | |Drinks Reception | | | | |Approximately 300 Attending | | |Approximate cost £600 | | | | | | | | | | | |Approximate budget | | | | | |remaining | | | | | |£120,809 |
|Organisation/ Body |Event/Date - |Request |Comments |Recommendation | | |Number of Delegates/Guests | | | | |Police Service of |Policing with the Community |Use of City Hall and the|This event seeks to |Use of City Hall and the | |Northern Ireland |Awards Ceremony 2007 |provision of hospitality|formally recognise and |provision of a pre-dinner | | | |in the form of a |reward the contribution |Drinks Reception in the | | |16th May, 2007 (evening) |pre-dinner |which individuals and teams|form of wine/soft drinks | | | |Drinks Reception |within the Police Service | | | |Approximately 375 Attending | |of Northern Ireland, in |Approximate cost £750 | | | | |partnership with the | | | | | |community, make to the |Approximate budget | | | | |safety of the City. |remaining | | | | | |£120,059 | | | | |The ceremony meets the | | | | | |Council's Corporate | | | | | |Strategic Objective of | | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership | | | | | |and contributes to the | | | | | |Council's Key Priority | | | | | |Issue of Creating a Safer | | | | | |City. | | |Volunteer |Millennium Volunteers Awards|Use of City Hall and the|This awards ceremony will |Use of City Hall and the | |Development Agency |of Excellence |provision of hospitality|celebrate the achievement |provision of hospitality | | | |in the form of a |of volunteers who have |in the form of soft drinks| | |30th March, 2007 (evening) |pre-event |completed 200 hours of | | | | |Drinks Reception |voluntary activity and | | | |Approximately 200 Attending | |leadership in their |Approximate cost £400 | | | | |community. | | | | | | |Approximate budget | | | | |This event meets the |remaining £119,659 | | | | |Council's Corporate | | | | | |Strategic Objective 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| | | | | | | | | | |Girls' Brigade |Queen's Award Ceremony |Use of City Hall and|This event will recognise those |Use of City Hall and the | |Northern Ireland | |the provision of |girls who have attained the |provision of Hospitality | | |11th May, 2007 (evening) |hospitality in the |Queen's Award. The Award is |in the form of soft drinks| | | |form of a |presented to girls who have been | | | |Approximately 300 |pre-event Drinks |involved actively in their |Approximate cost £450 | | |Attending |Reception |communities | | | | | |and who have demonstrated their |Approximate budget | | | | |initiative in completing tasks |remaining £119,209 | | | | |and developing their educational | | | | | |skills. | | | | | | | | | | | |This ceremony meets the Council's| | | | | |Corporate Strategic Objectives of| | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership, | | | | | |Improving quality of life now, | | | | | |and for Future Generations and, | | | | | |in addition, would contribute to | | | | | |the Council's Key Priority Issue | | | | | |of Improving Service Provision to| | | | | |Children and Young People. | | |Northern Ireland |Launch of Cultural |Use of City Hall and|This event will launch an |Use of City Hall and the | |Council for |Heritage and Identity |the provision of |exhibition of work to mark the |provision of hospitality | |Integrated |Exhibition |hospitality in the |completion of a |in the form of tea/coffee | |Education | |form of tea/coffee |six-month project, with Council |and biscuits | | |Launch of Exhibition |and biscuits |involvement, which has been | | | |13th March, 2007 (morning)| |undertaken by young people from |Approximate cost £150 | | | | |schools and ethnic communities | | | | | |within the City. The exhibition,|Approximate budget | | |Approximately 100 | |which will be displayed in a |remaining | | |Attending | |number of locations, including |£119,059 | | | | |the City Hall, will highlight the| | | |Exhibition | |creative contribution made by | | | |14th-18th March, 2007 | |participants from differing | | | | | |ethnic, political and religious | | | | | |backgrounds to the City's | | | | | |cultural sector. | | | | | | | | | | | |The event meets the Council's | | | | | |Corporate Strategic Objectives of| | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership and | | | | | |Promoting Good Relations. | |
|Organisation/ Body |Event/Date - |Request |Comments |Recommendation | | |Number of Delegates/Guests | | | | |An Droichead |Debate on Drugs and Alcohol |Use of City Hall |This event will take the |Use of City Hall | | |Abuse | |form of an Irish Language | | | | | |debate in the Council | | | |15th March, 2007 | |Chamber between teams from | | | |(afternoon) | |a number of schools | | | | | |throughout the city. The | | | |Approximately 70 Attending | |debate, which will deal | | | | | |with issues surrounding | | | | | |Drug and Alcohol Abuse by | | | | | |young people, will be | | | | | |chaired and judged by | | | | | |prominent members of the | | | | | |Irish-speaking community. | | | | | | | | | | | |This event meets the | | | | | |Council's Corporate | | | | | |Strategic Objectives of | | | | | |Providing Civic Leadership | | | | | |and Improving Quality of | | | | | |Life, Now and for Future | | | | | |Generations and in addition| | | | | |will contribute to the | | | | | |Council's Key Priority | | | | | |Issue of Improving Service | | | | | |Provision to Children and | | | | | |Young People. | |
The Committee adopted the recommendations of the Head of Committee and Members' Services as set out in the foregoing schedule.
(The Deputy Chairman, Councillor Rodway, in the Chair.)
Facilities Management
City Hall Refurbishment and New Council Accommodation
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 3rd November, it had:
- affirmed its previous decision for a single phase decant from the City Hall to allow major works to be carried out;
- selected Adelaide Exchange as the decant location and authorised the taking out of a fifteen year lease of those premises to be fitted out to the Council's requirements; and
- authorised a continuous review of residual office accommodation needs and the potential for the rationalisation of the Council's assets in conjunction with developments arising out the Review of Public Administration.
In addition, the Committee had authorised the Director of Corporate Services to examine the possibility of utilising the Laganside Corporation offices for accommodation for the Lord Mayor's Office.
The Director of Corporate Services explained that a number of steps would have to be taken in order to expedite the aforementioned decisions. However, the timetable remained extremely tight since it was the aim to decant the City Hall between April and June, with the commencement date for the City Hall contract scheduled for July, 2007.
The Director submitted for the information of the Members a report which provided details on the City Hall Contract, the decant of the City Hall, including the need for off-site storage, the provision of desks and office furniture for the Adelaide Exchange Building, the relocation of the Council Chamber within the Adelaide Exchange Building, details of the lease and fit-out, the car park arrangements and the telecommunications system at the new building, the use by the Lord Mayor's Unit of the Laganside Corporation offices at Clarendon Dock and the role of the Members' Steering Group.
After a lengthy discussion, it was
Moved by Councillor D. Browne, Seconded by Councillor Lavery and
Resolved - That the Committee agrees to authorise:
- the temporary relocation of the Council Chamber to Adelaide Exchange;
- the commencement of a tendering exercise for the provision of new desks and office furniture in Adelaide Exchange, with authority being delegated to the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Chairman, to accept the tender;
- the entering into a direct contract with Straben Developments Limited, the developers of the building, for the fit out of Adelaide Exchange, subject to negotiations and verification of costs, with authority being delegated to the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Chairman, to accept the contract;
- the holding of negotiations for the provision of up to 50 car parking places within Adelaide Exchange, with the authority being delegated to the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Chairman, to conclude the negotiations;
- the commencement of a tendering exercise to extend the Voice over Internet Protocol telecommunications technology at both the Adelaide Exchange and the City Hall;
- the taking out of a fifteen-year lease for the Adelaide Exchange Building, with an option to break after ten years; and
- the taking out of a five-year lease in respect of the Laganside Corporation offices at Clarendon Dock, with an option to break after three years.
(Mr. G. Wright, Head of Facilities Management, attended in connection with these items.)
Closure of Cobbled Area at Front of City Hall
The Committee considered the undernoted report in respect of the closure of the cobbled area at the front of the City Hall.
The Committee adopted the recommendations.
Request for the Use of City Hall East Lawn
The Committee was advised that a request had been received for the use of the City Hall East Lawn for a Festival of Fools event to take place from 3rd till 7th May. The event would be a high quality maze installation entitled "GetLost", which would feature as a centre piece of the annual Festival of Fools event.
The Festival had traditionally used Corn Market as a venue for its annual events but, due to ongoing work on the Victoria Square development, that location was unavailable.
After discussion, it was
Moved by Councillor D. Browne, Seconded by Councillor Wilson,
That the Committee agrees to refuse the application for the use of the City Hall grounds for the staging of the aforementioned event on the basis that the City Hall would not be an appropriate location for the staging of such an event and that the organisers be recommended to seek authority to use the public arena at Customs Square, which had been purpose built for events of this nature.
On a vote by show of hands five Members voted for the proposal and five against. There being an equality of votes, the Deputy Chairman exercised his second and casting vote in favour of the proposal and it was accordingly declared carried.
Public Realm Partnership with the Department for Social Development
The Committee considered the undernoted report regarding a public realm partnership with the Department for Social Development.
The Committee approved, in principle, the Council's participation in the aforementioned pilot scheme and noted that a further report providing details of the nature of the partnership arrangements would be submitted in due course.
Consideration of Consultative Documents
Housing Affordability Review
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 17th November, it had prior to the release of the Review into Affordable Housing Interim Report, approved the submission of a Council position paper in relation to the Housing Affordability Review. On 14th December the Affordability Review Team had released their initial findings report for consultation. A special meeting of the Committee had been held on 16th January and a representative from the Affordability Review Team had attended the meeting to discuss any concerns which Members might have had. The Members had highlighted a number of additional issues regarding affordability which had not been addressed within the Review report and had agreed that these be included in the Council's final response to the consultation document.
The Committee approved the final response to the Housing Affordability Consultation Document.
Disclosure of Death Registration Information
The Committee noted the contents of a report (This should be requested under Freedom of Information) in respect of proposals for the disclosure of death registration information by the Registrar General for the use in the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences.
Chairman
