Minutes for Council meeting, Aug 18 2010, 10.30AM official page

(i)         Aberdeen Community Council Forum - in relation to item 7(c)

Transport & Accessibility Supplementary Guidance

For the avoidance of doubt, one supplementary question, limited to clarifying any answer given, may be asked by the original questioner and one further supplementary question may be asked by one other member.

(1)               To ask the Convener for Finance and Resources if he is aware of the regulations regarding Allowances and Expenses for Councillors and if so does he recognise the words of an anonymous Administration Councillor who said in the Press and Journal on 2^nd July 2010 “he had been given an envelope of cash for a trip abroad and there were no instructions about how to hand any change back” regardless of his awareness of the regulations can he confirm or otherwise if giving an envelope to a Councillor full of cash meets the requirements of any Act or Regulation laid down by statute and will he refer the matter to the Audit and Risk Committee for scrutiny for them to investigate this and other matters relating to Councillors receiving cash in envelopes?

(2)               To ask the Convener for Finance and Resources what instructions if any has been given by him, his predecessor or by Council officers in relation to ensuring that cash given to Councillors to spend on trips abroad or within the UK given in an envelope or otherwise but unused is returned to the Council?

(3)               To ask the Convener for Finance and Resources to provide Council with a detailed breakdown of all monies given to Councillors for trips abroad or within the UK and the amount returned by Councillors from these trips either within or without the envelope given to them at the start of the trip from May 2007 to present.

(4)               To ask the Chief Executive if she can confirm or otherwise if this Council fully conforms to the regulations laid down by Scottish Ministers in relation to the reimbursement of expenditure incurred on approved duties by Councillors?

(5)               To ask the Chief Executive to confirm or otherwise if Councillor Fletcher’s claim published in the Press and Journal’s letter page on Wednesday 24^th June 2010 and the Evening Express letter page on the same day which states and I quote “I will finally admit that I, too, have waived a significant amount of salary, over £33,000, and not submitted one claim form for councillor expenses, since 2007” is either incredulous or incredible given the fact that the STATEMENT OF ALLOWANCES & EXPENSES FOR ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL PAID TO AND ON BEHALF OF ELECTED MEMBERS FOR THE YEAR 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2010 confirms that Councillor Fletcher has claimed a significant amount of expenses. Will the Chief Executive confirm the amount of claim forms submitted by Councillor Fletcher since 2007 and also the amounts claimed?

“Council agrees that in view of the ongoing serious financial situation affecting public bodies and the major budgetary pressures outlined in the recent UK Governments Emergency Budget Statement the Council’s policy will be to actively seek the sharing of major strategic services with other authorities in the North and North East of Scotland in order to deliver significant budget savings.

Council instructs the Chief Executive to formally approach other authorities in this regard.”

“That this Council writes to the Transport Secretary to state that we believe that direct rail links between Aberdeen and London are vital to the economy of Aberdeen City and Shire and should continue and that we are vehemently opposed to proposals contained in Sir Andrew Foster’s report on the Intercity Express Programme which would see these links cut.”