Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on

The minutes of the meeting held on 18^th January 2021 were confirmed as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

To receive questions or statements on the business of the committee from town and parish councils and members of the public.

OR

To receive questions or statements on the business of the committee from town and parish councils and members of the public.

Public speaking has been suspended for virtual committee meetings during the Covid-19 crisis and public participation will be dealt with through written submissions only.

 Members of the public who live, work or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area, may submit up to two questions or a statement of up to a maximum of 450 words.  All submissions must be sent electronically to susan.dallison@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  by the deadline set out below. 

When submitting a question please indicate who the question is for and include your name, address and contact details.  Questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

Questions will be read out by an officer of the council and a response given by the appropriate Portfolio Holder or officer at the meeting.  All questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The deadline for submission of the full text of a question or statement is 8.30am on XXXXX 2020.

There were no questions or statements from members of the public.

To receive a verbal update from Aidan Dunn, Executive Director, Corporate Development.

Aidan Dunn, Executive Director, Corporate Development provided an update on the latest position regarding the completion of the 2019/20 accounts.  Members were advised that the valuation of fixed assets had not been finalised which was holding up the completion of the accounts; Deloittes were working hard with the Finance Team to finalise the accounts and the committee was assured that this had no impact upon the council tax or the budget. 

To receive a report from Aidan Dunn, Executive Director, Corporate Development.

The Executive Director, Corporate Development, introduced the report which covered the capital and revenue position for the quarter 3 period April to December 2020.  The financial management report was predicting a forecast overspend of £18.6m for 2020/21.  The Covid-19 pandemic had had a significant impact on income and expenditure levels and there was a £13m shortfall on council tax and business rates collection, it had also been a very challenging time for adult social care services.

The members of the committee asked a number of questions and discussed the following topics:

What action was being taken to recover council tax and business rates;

The funding or the correct elements of disability and health care and the utilisation of all areas of support, for example hospital discharge;

High needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the political avenues being progressed to address the important financial issue of the DSG;

In respect of a question on the usual collection rates for business rates and council tax, the Executive Director, Corporate Development agreed that a written response would be provided to the committee.      

To consider a report by Jonathan Mair, Corporate Director, Legal & Democratic.

Jonathan Mair, Corporate Director of Legal & Democratic presented a report on proposals to adopt the new Local Government Association Model Councillor Code of Conduct and new arrangements for dealing with Code of Conduct complaints against councillors.   The committee was supportive of all of the recommendations and the Corporate Director agreed to look at the most suitable meeting date for submitting the annual monitoring report to the committee as there was no scheduled meeting in May.

Recommendation to Full Council

1.         That the Local Government Association Model Councillor Code of Conduct including those provisions of the Model Code relating to other registrable interests be adopted;

2.         That Dorset’s Town and Parish Councils be invited to consider adopting the LGA Model Code;

3.         That the proposed new arrangements for dealing with Code of Conduct complaints against councillors be adopted.

Decision

That the committee be updated at each of its meetings about code of conduct

Complaints received and that an annual monitoring report should be

presented to the committee each year.               

To consider a report by David Wilkes, Service Manager, Treasury & Investments.

David Wilkes, Service Manager for Treasury and Investments presented his report which reviewed the council’s borrowing position and activity in accordance with the requirement to ensure that money and resources were used wisely.

Cllr M Parkes thanked David Wilkes for providing an informative and comprehensive report on the council’s borrowing activity.   

To consider the work programme for the Committee.

The committee noted the Forward Plan.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were not urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

There are no items of exempt business.

There were no items of exempt business.