Agenda item

A copy of the Best Value Performance Plan 2002/03 has been circulated to all Members of Council, Chief Officers and the Press so a copy is not attached to this agenda.  Members and Chief Officers are asked to bring the report along to the meeting.

 

The Plan is also being considered by the Education and Heritage, Planning and Environment and Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committees.  Their views will be reported at the meeting.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chief Executive and County Treasurer concerning the draft Best Value Performance Plan for 2002/03.  A copy of the report marked ‘B’ is filed with these minutes.

 

The comments of the Education and Heritage, the Planning and Environment and the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committees on the Plan were circulated, and copies marked B1, B2, B3 respectively, are filed with these minutes.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)         That the comments of the Education and Heritage, Planning and Environment and Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committees be noted and forwarded to the Cabinet.

 

b)         That with regard to the two service areas falling within the remit of the Commission the Cabinet be advised as follows:-

 

Promoting Economic Well-Being (Chapter 9)

 

(i)         That whilst recognising and endorsing the need to work in partnership with others to promote economic well-being a review of partnership arrangements should be undertaken with a view to some rationalisation;

 

(ii)        That whilst recognising the difficulties of developing performance measures in this area of activity any such measures should seek to focus on outputs rather than on levels of activity or process;

 

(iii)       That given the limited resources available to the County Council for promoting economic well-being the focus of the Council activity should be on working with agencies such as emda to ‘lever-in’ funding;

 

(iv)       That it is the view of the Commission that the information in Chapter 9 did not provide a clear or focussed picture of the key priorities of the Council in this area of work and how these might be implemented or further developed and therefore the Commission would wish, at an appropriate point, to invite representatives of the Cabinet to attend the Commission to discuss the issues further;

 

Making Communities Safer (Chapter 11)

 

(v)        That given that the Leicestershire Partnership for Safer Communities is the key body for co-ordinating crime and disorder matters across the County its role and work should be given greater emphasis in the Plan;

 

(vi)       That Plan should reflect the decision of local partnerships to agree to transfer a proportion of the ‘Communities against Drugs’ fund to the Police to enable investment in strategies to target the major suppliers of controlled drugs;

 

(vii)      That whilst welcoming the figures showing a reduction in crimes such as burglary and theft it should be noted that there is still significant under reporting of crime;

 

(viii)     That the Commission, as part of its work programme, would wish to monitor and review the activities, impact and effectiveness of Crime and Disorder Partnerships in the County.

 

(c)        That the need to reconsider the Review Programme to reflect the advice being received from Government and the Audit Commission be noted and that the Cabinet be requested to consult the Scrutiny Reference Group on the content of the Review Programme and the arrangements for involving elected members in the process.

 

(d)        That subject to the comments now made, the Best Value Performance Plan for 2002/03 be endorsed.