Agenda and minutes

Councillors Gallagher and Ismail

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Declarations of interest

 If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a) Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b)  Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f)   Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

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RESOLVED;

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 March be confirmed and the Chair be authorised to sign them

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The Chair outlined the procedure for Public questions and filming and recording of meetings

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RESOLVED:

That the Scrutiny report on Tax Avoidance be approved and referred to the Executive for consideration

The Executive Member for Economic Development, Councillor Shaikh, was present for discussion of this item and made a presentation to the Committee.

During consideration of the presentation the following main points were made –

·          A new Voluntary and Community Sector Development team has been established inter alia to have greater emphasis on developing outcome driven, effective partnerships with the VCS and help build capacity in the sector and support the sector to attract investment

·         A VCS strategy has been established for 2016-2020

·         A whole Council approach is being taken bringing together funding from CE, Housing and Adult Social Services, CCG and aligning monitoring processes

·         VCS grants fund of £2.67 m secured for VCS grants, including advice, and the VCS Grants fund of £1.163m has been protected

·         New grant funding arrangements will begin in September 2016

·         The Community Chest fund in 2015/16 attracted 102 community groups applying for funding and 57 community groups were awarded funding of just over £222,000

·         Ward Partnerships are informal arrangements to support local democracy and the view was expressed that some Ward Partnerships were more effective than others and met more regularly. It was noted that the arrangements were being looked at and resourcing

·         The Local Initiatives Fund (LIF) has a budget of £240,000 per financial year - £15000 per ward and 174 local projects were awarded funding in 2015/16. Concern was expressed that LIF monies were being used to subsidise cuts in budgets to voluntary organisations

·         The view was expressed that there is a need to emphasise social value when awarding contracts and it was stated that this is being taken on board

·         It was stated that the Council were looking to provide premises at reduced rents to assist voluntary organisations and aligning VCS with housing community development work

·         There is a challenge to get larger organisations to work with local providers to provide services

·         Assistance is being given to smaller organisations to help them to prepare a financial strategy and Islington had protected funding more than other Local Authorities. In addition DIA are funded by the Council to assist VCS groups

The Chair thanked Councillor Shaikh for her presentation and attending the Committee

Reference was made to the Stop and Search Monitoring Group and that this should link in with the recommendation on Stop and Search.

RESOLVED:

That subject to the following amendments –

Recommendation 7-line 4 after the word panel insert the words ‘young people’. In addition add the following sentence – ‘That liaison take place with the Stop and Search Monitoring Group in order that both the public in general and young people can hold the Police to account’

Recommendation 8 – add the words at the end – ‘The Council works to improve universal youth services throughout the borough, with a good geographical spread’

Recommendation 9 – add the words at the end – ‘Put in clear criteria for exclusions to make the process more transparent and ensure liaison takes place with schools to ensure permanent exclusion rates, especially at primary level are kept to a minimum’

Recommendation 13 – add new sentence –‘ In addition policies and practices be put in place to ensure that those considered most at risk of offending/re-offending are kept  under constant review to reduce the risk of offending/re-offending of this cohort of young people’

Recommendation 15 – after the word ‘reviewed’ insert the words – ‘and a Pan London approach be developed with the Mayor of London’

The Chair stated that any suggestions for scrutiny topics should be made to the Chair following Annual Council on 12 May