Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Andrew Birchall, Magda Cullens, Cath Hoyle and Margaret Lees.  

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.

There were no declarations of interest by Members relating to the items on the agenda.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 10 October 2006 (enclosed)

RESOLVED - That the Minutes of the meeting of the Corporate and Customer Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 10 October 2006 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Business Plan and Performance Monitoring Reports are enclosed for the period July 2006 to September 2006 for:

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

The report for Financial Services will be tabled.  

The Panel received the Business Plan Monitoring Statements for the period July 2006 to September 2006 for:

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

Members clarified aspects of the Business Plans and Performance Indicators with the Directors who were all present at the meeting.  The Panel noted the service developments in each area as outlined in the reports. 

RESOLVED –

1. That the Business Plan Monitoring Statements July 2006 to September 2006 be noted,
2. That the sickness absence policy be presented to a future meeting of the Panel. 

The minutes of the Efficiency Sub-Group held on 24 October and the Partnership Sub-Group held on 26 October are enclosed.  An additional verbal update will also be given. 

The Panel received the minutes of the Efficiency Sub-Group held on 24 October and the Partnership Sub-Group held on 26 October. 

Members noted that the Efficiency Sub-Group had visited Chorley’s Contact Centre on 24 November and would be meeting on 13 December to consider Chorley’s current and future efficiency plans and those of Partners within Lancashire. 

Members were advised that the Partnership Sub-Group would be meeting on 5 December to consider the webcast of the Lancashire County Council Executive Cabinet meeting that considered the Scrutiny Inquiry report into the Contact Centre and to consider questions to be asked of Officers and Councillors at the site visit to the Hub at Lancashire County Council on 8 December. 

The Partnership Sub-Group would be interviewing representatives from Pendle and Ribble Valley Borough Council’s on 19 January 2007 and Councillor John Walker (Executive Member for Customer, Democratic and Legal) and Councillor Dennis Edgerley (previous Executive Member for Customers, Policy and Performance) on a date to be determined in January. 

Resolved – That the progress on the Lancashire Shared Services Contact Centre Inquiry be noted.

To note the updated Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme.

The Panel received and noted the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2006/07 which related to items for the Panel.