Minutes for Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Performance and Corporate Services) meeting, Apr 28 2009, 6.30PM official page

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Gibson, Councillor Larkin and his Substitute Councillor Gustafson, and Councillor Weavers.

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.

The following declarations of interest were received:-

Member

Minute No.

Reason

Action

Councillor Brennan

67 – Equality of Access to Services – Working Group

Prejudicial – By virtue of his employment

Left the room prior to consideration of the item.

Councillor D. Hardy

71 – Office of Surveillance Commissioners’ Inspection Reports – 2003-2008

Personal – By virtue of him being a representative on the One Vision Housing Board

Took part in the consideration of the item and voted thereon.

Minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2009.

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Presentation to be made by Chief Superintendent, Ian Pilling, Merseyside Police.

The Committee received a presentation from Chief Superintendent Ian Pilling and Inspector Lol O’Donnell from Merseyside Police Authority, providing a snapshot and overview of policing activities in the Sefton area.

The presentation outlined the following information:-

• Members of the Sefton Command Team and Sefton Neighbourhood Inspectors;
• The area goals in Sefton; and
• The Sefton Area Control strategy at April 2009.

Statistical information was provided on the following:-

• Crime and anti-social behaviour between April 2007 – March 2008, compared to April 2008 – March 2009;
• Sanction detections between April 2007 – March 2008, compared to April 2008 – March 2009;
• A yearly comparison of all Sefton crime from April 2006 – March 2009;
• A focus on citizen satisfaction between April 2008 – March 2009; and
• Calls for service from Sefton citizens between April 2008 – April 2009.

Details of the achievements of the following recent operations were also provided:-

• Operation Hawk – Targetting the supply of street level drugs;
• Operation Manaton – Arrests made for drugs offences, cannabis plants recovered, cash seized, prisoners referred for treatment; and
• Operation Tango – Improvement of road safety, vehicles seized.

The relevance of policing operations to the Local Area Agreement was also outlined.

Members raised a number of issues and queries.

The Chair emphasised the importance of good working relationships between the Council and partner organisations, particularly in view of certain shared priorities.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the Police Officers be thanked for their attendance and informative presentation; and

(2)       the Chair of the Committee be requested to liaise with the Head of Community Safety regarding future joint working arrangements with the Police Authority.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Manager).

The Committee received a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) updating Members on the Audit Commission’s new assessment regime, the Comprehensive Area Assessment (C.A.A.). The report indicated that the C.A.A. would act as a major influence on policy and delivery for the council and partners during its entire application.

No officer had attended to present the report.

RESOLVED: That

That the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) be requested to present information on how Overview and Scrutiny will engage with the C.A.A., to a future meeting.

Report of the Legal Director.

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director on the progress made by the Equality of Access to Services Working Group made to date, together with an outline of its aims and objectives.

The report indicated that the Working Group had committed to supporting the progress made by the Council in achieving Level 5 of the Local Government Equality Standard. The Working Group had also identified a number of aims to be achieved during 2009/10 regarding the following:-

• Small businesses and their equality and diversity requirements;
• Consultation / engagement with representative groups within Sefton;
• Training and development for Members and officers; and
• An amendment to the template for Committee reports, to reflect whether equality and diversity issues had been taken into consideration in reaching conclusions and recommendations.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the progress and actions of the Equality of Access to Services Working Group taken to date be approved; and

(2)       Members of the Working Group be thanked for their input.

Report of the Legal Director.

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director attaching the latest Key Decision Forward Plan which contained all the Key Decisions which the Executive was anticipated to take during the above period. The Committee was advised of its right to pre-scrutinise any Key Decision which fell under its remit.

Further to Minute No. 68 above, a report on the progress made by the Equality of Access to Services Working Group appeared elsewhere on the Committee’s agenda.

This Committee had also established a Perception of Crime Working Group which, for various reasons, had faltered during 2008/09. This could be re-considered as a topic for review during 2009/10.

In terms of reports / presentations requested by this Committee during 2008/09, certain issues remained outstanding although assurances had been sought from relevant officers and these issues would be presented as soon as possible.

RESOLVED: That

(1).      the contents of the Forward Plan, together with the report, be accepted;

(2).      the progress and actions of the Equality of Access to Services Working Group taken to date, be approved;

(3)       the continuation of the Perception of Crime Working Group be considered as part of this Committee’s Work Programme for 2009/10; and

(4)       the intention for relevant officers to submit reports / presentations on the outstanding matters outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report, be supported.

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 Paragraph …7. 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 press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 7 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.

Report of the Legal Director.

Further to Minute No. 42 of 16 December 2008, the Committee considered the report of the Legal Director on the Inspection Reports issued by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners, with regard to the Council’s management of covert activities under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers act (R.I.P.A.) 2000

Details of an announcement issued by the Home Secretary on 17 April 2009, for plans to prevent the use of R.I.P.A. powers for trivial purposes, were circulated for consideration by the Committee. The announcement also included a review of R.I.P.A. and would invite public consultation.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       all applications for authorisation under R.I.P.A. be forwarded to the Legal Director to satisfy requirements that they are necessary and proportionate to the alleged offence, prior to being signed by an authorising officer;

(2)       the Legal Director be authorised to monitor the progress of reviews, renewals and cancellations of all authorisations under R.I.P.A.;

(3)       a report on R.I.P.A. activities be received by this Committee on an annual basis in future;

(4)       any applications for authorisation under R.I.P.A. be reported to this Committee within three months;

(5)       any significant changes to the number of applications for authorisation under R.I.P.A. be reported to this Committee;

(6)       a report be submitted to the next meeting setting out a suggested response to the announcement by the Home Secretary.