Agenda and minutes

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81 (3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Bale, Davey and Lowe.

To receive and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 1^st December 2008.

(a)  Minutes – 3^rd November 2008 – Declarations of Interest (Minute No 50 refers)

  With reference to Minute No 50, 1^st December 2008, and Minute No 43, 3^rd November 2008, Councillor Wadsworth requested that his name too be added to the amended Minute No 43, as he too had been advised to leave the meeting on 3^rd November during the discussion of the Review of the Capital Programme 2008-2012 due to his position as a Director of Leeds East North East Homes ALMO.

  RESOLVED –

  (a)  That subject to the above addition, the minutes of the meeting held on 1^st December 2008 be confirmed as a correct record;

  (b)  That the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development, in conjunction with the Senior Governance Officer, be requested to review the minute format, to establish whether it is possible to perhaps provide more clarity or certainty regarding the necessary follow-up actions resulting from the Board’s discussions.

To consider a report of the Director of Resources on the Budget Strategy 2009/10.

Consideration of this item was deferred to the meeting to be held on 2^nd February 2009, due to the indisposition of the Director of Resources.

To consider a report of the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement on the Council Business Plan Performance Report for Quarter 2 2008/9.

Further to Minute No 33, 6^th October 2008, the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report regarding the Quarter 2 performance indicators (PI) in respect of Central and Corporate Functions.  The report charted progress against targets across the raft of individual performance indicators in this area, and highlighted areas of under-performance and actions being taken to remedy matters.

Helen Mylan, Alex Watson and Steve Carey, Resources Department, and Heather Pinches and Paddy Clarke, Chief Executive’s Department, were present at the meeting and responded to Members’ queries and comments.  In brief summary, the main points of discussion were:-

• PI BP-09 - % of complaints responded to within 15 days – the report indicated that the target figure of 76% was unlikely to be met this year;

PI BP-10 and BP11 - % of letters and e-mails responded to within 10 days – did this mean merely acknowledged, or a substantive reply received?  Was 10 days for a reply to an e-mail an acceptable target?

Officers reported that all these issues were currently the subject of monitoring and discussion by an inter-Department ‘Customer Strategy Board’ of officers established to drive forward improvement.  This was a complicated area, with incomplete data in respect of some Departments, which perhaps did not have the same high levels of contact with the public as others, therefore data collection was not perceived as being a priority or adding value to the service.  Finding suitable resources to perform the data collection and monitoring was also an issue in some cases.

The Customer Strategy Board was attempting to take a pragmatic approach in respect of this area, on a service by service basis, with deminimus reporting being looked at where Departments did not have a huge interface with the public.  Although useful, this PI could also sometimes be misleading as an indicator of a particular level of performance – say, for instance, in respect of the Benefits Service, where the priority might be to concentrate on and shorten the amount of time taken between a claim being received and benefit being paid.

The 10 and 15 days referred to a full response, not merely an acknowledgement, but even this could mask problems  For example, if it related to a housing repair issue, or could still be a considerable time before an order was placed and the work carried out.  Customer Services were working closely with the ALMO’s to improve customer service, 10 days was now the standard to which ALMO’s were working, and could well become the norm across the Council.  The point regarding a 10 day response to an e-mail was accepted, and it was rare that this would in fact be the case.

Members instructed that their comments and concerns be relayed directly to the Customer Strategy Board, and that the situation be reviewed again critically in March, when the Quarter 3 PI’s are submitted, by which time Members would require to see improved figures and further information on action being taken to address  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on the Board’s Work Programme, Executive Board Minutes and Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a copy of the Board’s work programme, updated to reflect decisions taken at previous meetings, together with a relevant extract of the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1^st December 2008 to 31^st March 2009 and the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Board held on 3^rd December 2008.

Reference was made to the proposed scrutiny of electoral matters, currently unscheduled, and in particular the way in which the distribution and return of Registration Form ‘A’ was monitored, and it was agreed to establish a Working Group to look into this area.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and updated work programme be received and noted;

(b)  That a Working Group on Electoral Matters, comprising all Members of the Board, be established, and the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development canvass dates for and arrange a meeting, in consultation with the Chair.

Councillor Atha wished to place on record his severe disquiet at the cancellation of the scheduled Call-In meeting on 22^nd December 2008, called to look into a delegated decision of the Director of Resources in relation to the A660 Woodhouse Lane/Clarendon Road Proposed Inbound Bus/Cycle Lane and Junction Improvement Measures.

Whilst he understood the reasons for the cancellation i.e. the subsequent recision by the officer of the Called-In decision, nevertheless the incident did raise serious constitutional matters of principle and precedent, not least concerning Members’ rights to have an issue of concern raised and debated in public, and he intended to pursue the matter with the Assistant Chief Executive (Corporate Governance).  It might be a matter which the Governance Committee should look into.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development explained the circumstances surrounding his decision, on advice, to cancel the Call-In meeting, as circumstances had changed, and effectively there was no longer a decision to be Called-In.  The Highways aspects of the matter were now due to be considered by the Scrutiny Board (City Development) on 13^th January 2009.

Tuesday 6^th January 2009 at 2.00pm (Pre meeting for Board Members at 1.30pm)

Tuesday 6^th January 2009, at 2.00 pm (Pre-Meeting 1.30 pm).

The meeting concluded at 11.57 am.