Medway Council: Cabinet Decisions in 2001

The following 49 decisions were made by the Cabinet during the three month period from its inception on 1st October 2001 to the end of that year

Here is a list of all the meetings by date, each of which links to a list of the decisions made at that meeting:

 

Cabinet Meeting held on 9th October 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Finance Portfolio

Forecast Overspend 2001–2002

1/2001:
  1. The Cabinet agreed to work to eliminate the forecast overspend, as set out at the meeting
  2. Officers were instructed to continue to take appropriate action with the agreement of the relevant portfolio holder, within the scope of the existing policy framework, to bring net spending under control
  3. The Cabinet agreed to consider any further steps and choices open to the council at its next meeting on 23rd October 2001.
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Cabinet Meeting held on 23rd October 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Finance Portfolio

Forecast Overspend 2001–2002

2/2001:The Council was recommended to agree to a set of actions, as it is outside of the budget and policy framework.

Health and Community Portfolio

Proposal to form a West Kent-wide Mental Health and Social Care Trust

3/2001:The proposal to form a West Kent-wide Mental Health and Social Care Trust be endorsed and referred to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Education Portfolio

Proposed Extension of the Robert Napier School

4/2001:The governing body of the Robert Napier School be authorised to publish statutory notices to increase the standard number of the school to 240 from 1st September 2002.

Education Portfolio

Proposed Amalgamation of Forge Lane Infant School and Hillyfield Junior School: Outcome of Consultation

5/2001:That, subject to statutory processes, Forge Lane Infants and Hillyfield Junior Schools are closed on 31st August 2002 and a new one form of entry, 4–11 age range primary school be established on the Hillyfield site from 1st September 2002.

Leader's Portfolio

Rochester Riverside Development

6/2001:Exclusion of the Press and Public.
7/2001:Exempt decision—not recorded here.
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Cabinet Meeting held on 6th November 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Finance Portfolio

Budget Preparation 2002–2003

8/2001:The timetable for the budget preparation is approved as set out in the agenda papers.
9/2001:Officers were instructed, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, to formulate proposals for the budget in accordance with the updated financial strategy, as set out in the agenda papers, with target cost reductions based on the hybrid option.

Education Portfolio

Secondary School Admission Arrangements for Children Transferring in September 2003

10/2001:Consultation with school governing bodies and other admission authorities be undertaken on the basis of the revised draft consultation paper on the admissions process, as tabled at the meeting.
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Cabinet Meeting held on 20th November 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Health and Community Portfolio

Mental Health Best Value Improvement Plan

11/2001:Cabinet noted the decision made at Social Services Committee on 12th September 2001 in relation to the Mental Health Best Value Improvement Plan and agreed to receive further reports as the plan was implemented.
12/2001:The report entitled "Proposal to form a West Kent Wide Mental Health and Social Care Trust" be referred to Council with the support of Cabinet and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Education Portfolio

Best Value Review of Special Educational Needs: Options Appraisal Report

13/2001:The restructuring and improving provision (organisational Option 2) was approved.
14/2001:The delegation of funding to schools (through the Local Management process) and improving the range of purchase options offered to schools (organisational Option 4) was approved.
15/2001:Investing in Medway to reduce out-area costs (delivery Option 1) was approved.
16/2001:The proposal for applying the home to school transport policy more rigorously and removing anomalies (delivery Option 2) be referred back to the Youth and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee for them to consider a more detailed report, setting out the detail of the current and proposed eligibility criteria.

Finance Portfolio

Forecast Overspend 2001–2002: Call-in to Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

17/2001:The Council be advised that the Cabinet reaffirms its view that the reduction in support for economic development projects of £70,000 is consistent with the overall policy framework and in accordance with the Council's budget.

The decision taken was based upon advice received from the chief finance officer and the monitoring officer and that in the context of a ten-year economic development strategy this would not result in a reduction of service.

The Cabinet reaffirmed its decision taken on 23rd October 2001 to reduce the support for economic development projects by £70,000.

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Cabinet Meeting held on 4th December 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Finance Portfolio

Draft Budget 2002–2003

18/2001:Revenue: The provisional draft budget as amended will be forwarded to Overview and Scrutiny as work in progress inviting scrutiny to offer comments on the savings proposals outlined and any alternative proposals.
19/2001:Revenue: Directors were asked to consider all the options for further work as set out in the report for this agenda item.
20/2001:Capital: The draft capital budget was approved and will be forwarded to the Overview and Scrutiny committees for comment.

Finance Portfolio

Budget Monitoring 2001–2002

21/2001:Portfolio holders, with the support of officers, would take all the actions outlined within the report for this agenda item, and look for additional measures to reduce the projected overspend.
22/2001:Officers were instructed, in particular in health and community services, to continue to seek savings and efficiencies to bring the £2 million overspending forecast down, and report back on progress to the Cabinet meeting on 22nd January 2002.
23/2001:Officers in the Finance and Corporate Services Directorate were instructed not to make the contribution to the IT renewals fund for 2001/2002, and portfolio holders were asked to review this within their areas of responsibility.

Leader's Portfolio

Public Service Agreement 2002–2005

24/2001:The draft PSA was approved as the basis of first discussions, including the proposed targets and the overarching theme of urban renaissance. A further report would be made to Cabinet on 18th December 2001.

Community Safety Portfolio

Security at the Municipal Buildings

25/2001:Action to be taken on an incremental basis and its effectiveness monitored with a further report being brought back to Cabinet after 6 months.
The following actions be introduced immediately:
26/2001:Additional police patrols through the Council's scheme to fund police overtime.
27/2001:A meeting with the Youth Service to take forward the youth issues be convened.
28/2001:Evidence be collected on all incidents with a view to proceeding with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.
29/2001:Reinstating dog patrols.
30/2001:Enhancing lighting on site.

Corporate Services Portfolio

ICT Best Value Review: Options Approval

31/2001:The ICT Best Value Review Project Brief and Project Plan were accepted.Future provision of ICT services, as a result of the best value process, will be by joint provision of ICT services, based on a partnership with a private provider to assist with the delivery of the e-government agenda alongside an improved in-house service.It was agreed that further investigation into the joint commission and/or joint provision of services to support the national agendas of joined up service delivery to the customer, as contained within the Information Social Care Local Information Plan targeted at meeting the demands of the Social Care Agenda, be included within the improvement plan for ICT services. This supports the outcome of the Mental Health Best Value Review in the setting up of a Mental Health Trust to provide all services to its customers, an element of which will be ICT services.

The detailed benefits of partnerships to be identified at the improvement plan stage of the process.

32/2001:Exempt item of business—decision not recorded here.
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Cabinet Meeting held on 18th December 2001

Portfolio /
Decision No.		Agenda Item Title /
Decision Taken

Finance Portfolio

Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2002–2003

33/2001:The provisional settlement was noted.
34/2001:The Cabinet instructed Officers and appropriate Members to make urgent representations to government regarding the level of social services funding.

Key Service Planning Portfolio

Kent and Medway Structure Plan

35/2001:Cabinet requested further consultation between Medway Council and Kent County Council on the Draft Structure Plan to take into account Members' concerns and that an amended consultation document should be considered by Cabinet on 22nd January 2002.

Education Portfolio

Local Management Changes 2002–2003

36/2001:The use of pupil postcodes linked to socio-economic data should be explored further as a possible factor in allocating additional educational needs (AEN) funding in the future.
37/2001:Social deprivation should be allocated to the 25% of schools that have the highest percentages of free school meals.
38/2001:The total AEN budget be fixed but the SEN element of the budget be allowed to vary to respond to changing needs.
39/2001:It was agreed to delegate 25% of SEN funding based on multiple deprivation factors to the primary phase schools and based on input attainment data to secondary schools.
40/2001:Nursery-aged pupils should no longer be counted in the formula for allocating social deprivation funding.
41/2001:The threshold for rising roll claims on the schools' contingency fund be lowered to 3% and that, in determining such claims, non-statutory Year R pupils in September and additional pupils joining in January should be counted.
42/2001:A school can, in the first year of increasing its Standard Number, make a claim on the schools' contingency fund in respect of its additional pupils.
43/2001:Delegation of the following four services to schools with the option of buyback was approved:
  • the LEA funding element of the language achievement service, from 1st September 2002, on the basis of the current points-score system
  • the learning support service to primary schools, from 1st September 2002, using the same formula as for delegating other SEN funding
  • the education welfare service to secondary schools, from 1st September 2002, using the same formula as for delegating SEN funding
  • the one-day basic allocation of the advisory service, from 1st April 2002, on the basis of an equal lump sum to all schools.

Education Portfolio

Education Development Plan 2002–2007

44/2001:The initial proposals in the consultation documane be endorsed and forwarded to the Youth and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
45/2001:The process and timetable for the preparation of the EDP, as set out in Section 6 of the report for this agenda item, was approved.

Corporate Services Portfolio

Electronic Government Strategy

46/2001:The electronic government strategy, including the projects and priorities proposed within the plan, was approved as initial proposals for consultation, subject to the following amendments:
  • the implementation column of the electronic registration project being amended to read: "This would enable citizens to complete an electronic form" (page 11 of the strategy)
  • in the absence of primary legislation to allow implementation the following projects be removed from the list of projects: absent votes, counting of votes, and electronic voting (page 11 of the strategy)
  • the priority of the vehicle crossings project be changed to medium priority and commenced in 2003 rather than 2004 (page 11 of the strategy)
  • the TROs and notice project be amended to read "TPOs and notice" (page 13 of the strategy).
Furthermore, before each project is undertaken it must undergo a rigorous appraisal to assess the precise level of capital investment required, determine any associated revenue costs and expected savings, and indicate the benefits in terms of improved services. The costs of these projects will then be included in the capital budget 2002/2003 and subject to regular budget monitoring and review. For future years, the capital programme will be forumlated on the same basis to ensure that the e-government strategy is achieved, to ensure that the necessary controls are exerted, and that projects are assessed according to available resources and remain within approved budgets.

Leader's Portfolio

Public Service Agreement 2002–2005: ""

47/2001:The draft PSA, including the proposed targets and the theme of leading urban renaissance, was approved.
48/2001:The Leader of the Cabinet was delegated authority to agree the final structure and content of the PSA for submission to the DLTR in early January 2002.

Finance Portfolio

PriceWaterhouseCoopers: Management Letter 2001–2002

49/2001:The Cabinet noted the report and approved the management responses as set out in appendix A to the Management Letter.