Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery).

Noted the a report by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery) summarising the findings of their study on capital and revenue grant aid schemes operating across the Council and invited the Working Group to meet with the Executive Councillors for Finance and Transportation and for Housing and Public Health to discuss further the findings of their study and to report thereon to a future meeting of Cabinet.

(Councillor P G Mitchell, Member of the Grant Aid Working Group, was in attendance and spoke on this item)

The Cabinet received a report by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) summarising the findings of their study on capital and revenue grant aid schemes operating across the Council.

Executive Councillors were acquainted with the key findings of the Group in relation to the Council’s corporate priorities, the criteria for each scheme, the methods adopted to publicise the availability of grant funding, the application process, officer/member involvement and the level of external funding brought into the District.  Given the involvement of the Executive Councillors for Finance and Transportation and for Housing and Public Health in the Council’s grant processes, Members felt that it would be appropriate for them to discuss issues highlighted by the Working Group, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the Working Group be invited to meet with the Executive Councillors for Finance and Transportation and for Housing and Public Health to discuss further the finding of their study and to report thereon to a future meeting of Cabinet.

To receive a report outlining the findings of the Grant Aid Working Group.

20 Minutes.

(Councillor Mrs D C Reynolds, Executive Councillor for Housing and Public Health, was in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the final report of the Grant Aid Working Group (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book). In so doing, the Panel noted the Working Group’s activities, which comprised a series of meetings with various Officers to discuss the grant aid schemes offered by the Council.

Having drawn the Panel’s attention to minor amendments to be made to the report, Members were acquainted with the key findings of the Group in relation to the Council’s corporate priorities, the criteria for each scheme, the methods adopted to publicise the availability of grant funding, the application process, Officer / Member involvement in the approval process and the level of external funding brought into the District. In addition, Members were presented with a series of recommendations by the Working Group which were intended to streamline and promote the current grant aid process.

Having received clarification of the position with regard to the Council’s service level agreements, it was agreed that the Working Group should review the half yearly reports by these organisations before their report was submitted to the Cabinet.  Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that subject to minor textural amendments, the report of the Grant Aid Working Group be approved for consideration by the Cabinet.