Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed the new members to this the first meeting of the Finance and Performance Management Scrutiny Panel and briefly outlined the purpose of the panel.

The Committee noted that since the agenda was printed, the membership had been slightly altered. Councillor Morgan was now a member in place of Councillor Knapman and Councillor Jacobs had replaced Councillor Goold.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

No Substitute members had been appointed to the meeting.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.

To consider and agree the notes of the meetings of the Panel held on 25 April 2006. (attached)

The notes of the meeting of the Panel held on 25 April 2006 were agreed as a correct record.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Panel noted the work programme for 2006/07. Members were informed that if they wished to add anything to the work programme they should get into contact with Tony Tidey, the Lead Officer or the Chairman.

(Head of Human Resources and Performance Management) To receive a report on the Council’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The Head of Human Resources and Performance Management introduced the report on the Key Performance Indicators. The system uses a traffic light system, Red and Green to indicate the performance against the target for the year. Red means that the target was not achieved and Green that the target was achieved.

Of the 100 or so performance indicators, the Cabinet chose 40 of these as key performance indicators as crucial targets, and aims to have 40% of these indicators in the top quartile. The panel noted the 40 key performance indicators listed in the agenda.

Progress in achieving top quartile performance is reported to the Scrutiny Panel and the relevant Portfolio Holder at the conclusion of each quarter. Performance reports in respect of all other BVPI’s and LPIs are placed in the Members’ Room on a quarterly basis.

Using the latest figures the overall position of top quartile status was reported as follows:

(a)               19 (47.7%) met the top quartile target (Green); and

(b)               21 (52.3%) failed o meet the top quartile target (Red).

This is comfortably above our 40% target. Given this, the panel could recommend to the Cabinet that a 50% target should be set for next year.

The panel noted the key performance indicators outturn for 2005/06, the outturn related to the whole year. The Senior Performance Management officer reported that from June this year a performance management ICT system would provide improved KPI monitoring reports.

The Panel went through the KPIs, where the following was noted:

BV2b (The Duty to Promote Race Equality) – was 2% below target, but there is an action plan for improvement, which will be implemented in the autumn.

EH6 (Process all Licence Applications within the Statutory Period) – was doing well – but circumstances beyond the Council’s control stopped us getting 100% - because of this the Council might need to review the target of 100%.

BV82a(i) (Household Waste Management (Recycling))- The Head of Environmental Services updated the figures for this indicator changing the 2005/06 Q4 figure to 16.2%.

BV82a(ii) (Household Waste Management (Recycling))– The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn for 2005/06 Q4 figure was 8044.

BV82b(i) (Household Waste Management (Composting))– The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn for 2005/06 Q4 was 7.3%.

BV82b(ii) (Household Waste Management (Composting)) – The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn for 2005/06 Q4 was 3617.

BV199a (Local Street and Environmental Cleanliness – Litter and Detritus) – The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn of 2005/06 Q4 was 13% (in this case a low figure is good).

BV199b (Local Street & Environmental Cleanliness – Graffiti) – The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn of 2005/06 Q4 was 0% (in this case a low percentage is good).

BV199c (Local Street & Environmental Cleanliness – Fly-posting)) – The Head of Environmental Services reported the outturn for 2005/06 Q4 was 0% (again low is good).

BV82 and BV199 have improved significantly.

The Chairman asked if there were any discernable differences between areas with wheeled bins  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

(Head of Finance and Performance Management) To receive a report from the Head of Finance and Performance Management on the efficiencies proposed for inclusion in the backward-looking Annual Efficiency Statement for 2005/06.

The Head of Finance introduced a report giving the background to the Gershon Efficiency Savings. In 2003 Sir Peter Gershon was commissioned by the Prime Minister and Chancellor to consider the scope for efficiency savings across all public expenditure. He was asked to look at specific proposals to deliver efficiencies and more general changes that could be made to the framework within which the public sector operates to improve efficiency. The final report  ‘Releasing Resources to the Front Line’ was published in July 2004. In November 2004, the Government introduced the efficiency agenda to local authorities. Local Government was informed that it would be responsible for delivering over £6.45bn of total efficiency gains by 2007-08. This meant that over the next three years, each local authority is expected to achieve 2.5% p.a. efficiency gains compared to their 2004/05 baseline.

Members noted that a backwards-looking statement was due for 2005/06 and was scheduled for submission by 16 June 2006. However on 17 May 2006 an additional 60-page guide was issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). As authorities are required to take into account this guidance in constructing their backward-looking statements the DCLG has extended the deadline from 16 June to 6 July.

The current position figures were appended to the report. Members noted that in Gershon you can have cashable efficiency that can be transferred to other areas. Due to this the council had a cashable transfer of £400k to be added to the £500k

            Noted:

The Panel noted the contents of the report and the efficiencies proposed for inclusion in the backward-looking Annual Efficiency Statement for 2005/06 to be submitted to the DCLG by 6 July 2006.

Report to follow.

The Scrutiny Panel had previously asked for an explanation of the ongoing anticipated reduction in the levels of income generated from Local Land Charges search fees.

The Head of Legal Administration and Estates introduced the report on Local Land Charges. She explained that although this service did make a profit it was not set up explicitly to do so.

There are currently two ways to make a search. There is the official search, costing £120 and a personal search, costing £11.

The official standard Local Land Charges search provided a comprehensive response to all standard search enquiries using records/documents held by the authority and Essex County Council, although not all of the information on which search responses are based is publicly available at the present time. 

A personal search is a search of the Local Land Charges Register carried out in accordance with the Local Land Charges Act 1975 and the Local Land Charges Rules 1977 as amended.  Section 8 of the 1975 Act allows any person to search the Local Land Charges Register on payment of the prescribed fee, which is currently set by the Government at £11.00 per parcel of land. In addition, but quite separate from the Local Land Charges Act requirement, any person is entitled by law to inspect free of charge any records open for public inspection held by a local authority. 

The two methods of search do not produce exactly the same results.  Furthermore, whilst the Council is entirely responsible for the accuracy of responses that it provides to official Local Land Charge searches, the local authority is not responsible in any way for the accuracy or quality of the work carried out by agents or individuals who carry out a personal search.

Personal searches are being used more and more by various commercial agencies, and are now acceptable to mortgage companies. EFDC charges £11 plus £4 for any photocopying. Commercial Companies provide this for the £15 we charge, and sell it on to solicitors for £100. The people who are selling/buying see no difference in their charges.

An official search, although more thorough, can take much longer, which is another factor in some people choosing the personal search route.

At the request of the Joint Chief Executive (Resources), an investigation was recently conducted by a team from the ICT Department into the reasons for the current level of performance in responding to standard searches, which has concluded that the following points appear to be the major cause of delays in providing search information, which can presently take between eight and ten days:

• Essex County Council Highways Department - There is no Service Level Agreement in place with the County Council for the provision ofsearch responses. Since the withdrawal of the Highways Agency, search enquiries are currently posted on a daily basis to the Area Highways Office in Harlow. Search responses are returned in batches, not on a daily basis, by post from the Area Highways Office; and

• Environmental Services - There is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

None referred.

To consider the forward programme of meeting dates for the Panel. Meetings are programmed in for:

15 August 2006,

14 November 2006,

15 January 2007 and

12 February 2007.

Noted that the next meeting is to be held on 15 August 2006 at 7pm. Other programmed meetings are:

14 November 2006,

15 January 2007 and

12 February 2007.