Agenda and minutes

Councillor G Russell welcomed Councillors and Officers to the first meeting of the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel, in particular those Councillors recently elected to the Council. 

The Chair indicated that the remit of the Panel would include issues relating to the services provided by the following Directorates:

Customer, Democratic and Legal Services,

Financial Services,

Human Resources,

Information, Communication Technology Services and

Property Services.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Andrew Birchall, David Dickinson, Henry Caunce, Magda Cullens and Thomas McGowan. 

Members of the Committee are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the Council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct.  If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, then the individual Member should not participate in a discussion on the matter and must withdraw from the room and not seek to influence a decision on the matter.

No interests were declared.  

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 6 April 2006 (enclosed)

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting of the Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 6 April 2006 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Report of the Head of Corporate and Policy Services (enclosed)

The Panel received a report detailing those complaints referred to the Chief Executive during the period September 2005 and March 2006.  The Corporate and Policy Services Unit investigated the complaints on behalf of the Chief Executive.

The Chair clarified that a separate report detailing complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman would be presented to a future meeting of the Panel and that the report did not include complaints made to Service Directorates.  Any complaints of a racial nature were dealt with at Chief Executive level. 

In response to a query officers undertook to clarify the process to notify Executive Members of complaints made within their remit. 

RESOLVED – That the monitoring report detailing complaints to the Chief Executive September 2005 to March 2006 be noted.

Business Plan and Performance Monitoring Reports are enclosed for the period January 2006 to March 2006 for:

• Customer, Democratic and Office Support Services,
• Financial Services,
• Human Resources,
• Information, Communication Technology Services,
• Legal Services and
• Property Services.

The Panel received the Business Plan Monitoring Reports for the period January 2006 to March 2006 for Customer, Democratic and Office Support Services, Financial Services, Human Resources, Information, Communication Technology Services, Legal Services and Property Services. 

Members queried several points with the relevant Service Units Heads and thanked them for the updates.

In response to a query the Director of Property Services was requested to clarify the indicator PR001: percentage of the planned maintenance program completed.

RESOLVED - That the Business Plans Monitoring Reports for Customer, Democratic and Office Support Services, Financial Services, Human Resources, Information, Communication Technology Services, Legal Services and Property Servicesbe noted.

The Chair explained that a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairs would be held on 8 June to discuss the Overview and Scrutiny work programme.  The outcome of the meeting would be considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be held on 27 June and to the next Panel meeting to be held on 8 July.