Minutes for Appeals Committee meeting, Aug 7 2009, 10.00AM official page

No apologies for absence were received.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor M. Fearn be elected Chair for this meeting of the Sub-Committee.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 29 May 2009 were confirmed as a correct record.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs  1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test had been applied and favoured exclusion of the information to the press and public.

Report of the Head of Business and Support, Children’s Services Department

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children’s Services on the above appeal against the refusal of a Discretionary Major Award in respect of attendance at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).

The report indicated that this student had previously been awarded a discretionary award of tuition fees only, by the Appeals Committee held on 30 October 2008 (Minute No. 50), but due to funding problems experienced by the student, the college had agreed to defer his place on the course until September 2009 and he had therefore submitted a further appeal for the provision of discretionary funding for the course.

RESOLVED:

That the appeal be allowed and a Discretionary Major Award be approved for tuition fees only, excluding maintenance and subject to a maximum tuition fee of £3,700.00 per annum.

Report of the Head of Business and Support, Children’s Services Department

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children’s Services on the above appeal against the refusal of a Discretionary Major Award in respect of attendance at Phil Winston’s Theatre Works.

RESOLVED:

That the appeal be not allowed, but that consideration be given to any subsequent application following successful completion of the first year of the course.

Report of the Head of Business and Support, Children’s Services Department

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children’s Services on the above appeal against the refusal of a Discretionary Major Award in respect of attendance at the Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre.

RESOLVED:

That the appeal be not allowed, but that consideration be given to any subsequent application following successful completion of the first year of the course.

The Committee discussed the provision of discretionary major awards for courses that did not qualify for mandatory funding.

Members indicated that it would be helpful to compare Sefton’s policy and statistical information in relation to discretionary awards, with that of other local authorities in the area.

RESOLVED:

That the Strategic Director of Children’s Services be requested to draft a report detailing information on policy and statistics in respect of discretionary major awards provided by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council compared with other local authorities in the area.