Agenda and decisions

To approve the minutes of the Lead Member Briefing held on the 22 June 2017.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision

I, Councillor William Hinds, Lead Member for Finance and Support Services in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the City Mayor’s Executive scheme of delegation December 2016 do hereby confirm the decision to introduce the Care Leavers Discount for Council Tax payers

The Reasons are: -

Many care leavers are in low paid employment and frequently struggle to manage their outgoings in terms of bills. This exemption from liability of council tax payments will go some way to assisting this vulnerable group and acknowledge their distinct status as care leavers. This decision further demonstrates the council’s role as a corporate parent.  

Assessment of Risk: -

The financial risk of this action is low and can be managed within existing budgets

The source of funding is: - Existing budgets

Legal Advice obtained - There are a number of pieces of legislation and statutory guidance that set out the role of the local authority in respect of cared for children and care leavers. There are statutory obligations and guidance for the role of the Local Authority as the Corporate Parent in the Children’s Act 1989 and 2004, and the Children and Young People Act 2008.

 Under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 the Council has the power to reduce liability for council tax in relation to particular cases or by determining a class of cases that it may determine and where national discounts and exemptions cannot be applied. Section 13 A, (1) states ‘Where a person is liable to pay Council Tax in respect of any chargeable dwelling and any day, the billing authority for the area in which the dwelling is situated may reduce the amount which he is liable to pay as respects the dwelling and the day to such extent as it thinks fit’

Financial Advice obtained – Yes

Any exemptions will have an impact on the collection fund and will reduce the amount of income received by the Council. The granting of the exemption will also create costs for the Council’s preceptors (GM Police and GM Fire) in proportion to their respective shares of Council Tax. In 2017/18 the Council’s share of CT is 86.7% with the police and fire services shares being 9.7% and 3.6% respectively.

The level of funding forfeited as a result of the 100% exemption cannot currently be fully quantified due to the unknown impact of the reciprocal arrangements; however it is likely to be minimal in terms of the council tax collected. The £16.5k identified in the report represents only 0.015% of the council tax due for 2017/18.

As it is difficult to quantify the specific impact on the People service group of those Salford care leavers living outside of the GM area, any resulting financial pressure will need to be identified through budget monitoring with a decision being required as to whether these costs can be accommodated within existing resources or whether an additional budget allocation will  ...  view the full decision text for item 4.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision

I, Councillor William Hinds, Lead Member for Finance and Support Services in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the City Mayor’s Executive scheme of delegation December 2016 do hereby confirm the decision to introduce the Rate Relief Schemes announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spring Budget 2017.

The Reasons are: -

The schemes help ratepayers who face increases in their bills for 2017/18 following the recent revaluation carried out by the Valuation Office Agency.

Assessment of Risk: -

There are no financial risks for the council with this scheme.

The source of funding is: -

Fully funded by Central Government

Legal Advice obtained - No

Financial Advice obtained – No

The following documents have been used to assist the decision process.

Guidance from central government which is in the public domain

Contact Officer:        Stephen Fryer  0161 793 3498

PTO

Key:

Tick (ü) boxes at the end of these lines, as appropriate.

FOR COMMITTEE SERVICES USE ONLY

*           This decision was published on 27 July 2017.

*           This decision will come in force on 3 August 2017 at 4.00pm unless it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.

Key:

#    Insert date five days after decision notice is to be published.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision

I Councillor Bill Hinds, Lead Member for Finance and Support Services in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Scheme of Delegation of the Council do hereby approve:-

(a)  The award of the following contract for a project approved under the current Schools Capital Maintenance Programme:-

(i)    Acceptance of the tender from HEC Contracting in the sum of £167,239 for works at Beech Street Primary School to undertake an electrical rewire as detailed below.

The Reasons are:  to enable the works to progress as programmed to start on site and be completed at the earliest possible date. 

Options considered and rejected were:Normal approval and acceptance procedures would have resulted in unacceptable delays to the works being completed in time.

Assessment of Risk:  High. The scope of works require that they are commenced during the school summer closure period.

The programme has been developed to achieve the delivery of the contracts to meet the necessary completion dates. 

The source of funding is: The funding source available is from within the Schools Capital Maintenance Programme and is detailed in reports previously submitted for approval.

Legal Implications: Supplied by:  Tony Hatton, Principal Solicitor, tel. 219 6323.

When commissioning contracts for the procurement of goods, services, or the execution of works, the Council must comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and its own Contractual Standing Orders (CSO’s), failing which a contract may be subject to legal challenge from an aggrieved provider. The proposed award of the contracts follows tender exercises under Open Tender or by mini competition in accordance with the Council’s Minor Works and Responsive Repairs Lots 1A and B Lower Value Framework Agreement. This follows earlier Procurement Board approval for officers to undertake a procurement exercise for these services.

The purpose of a framework agreement is to select through a procurement/ evaluation process a number of providers who can meet the service requirements of the Council, as and when those services are required. If they are required then the Council will undertake an exercise to call off the services  ...  view the full decision text for item 6.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision

I Councillor Bill Hinds, Lead Member for Finance and Support Services in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Scheme of Delegation of the Council do hereby approve:-

(a)  The award of the following contract for a project approved under the current Schools Capital Maintenance Programme:-

(i) Acceptance of the tender from Shore Electrical & Mechanical Services in the sum of £141,677 for works at Monton Green Primary School to undertake an electrical rewire as detailed below.

The Reasons are:  to enable the works to progress as programmed to start on site and be completed at the earliest possible date. 

Options considered and rejected were:Normal approval and acceptance procedures would have resulted in unacceptable delays to the works being completed in time.

Assessment of Risk:  High. The scope of works require that they are commenced during the school summer closure period.

The programme has been developed to achieve the delivery of the contracts to meet the necessary completion dates. 

The source of funding is: The funding source available is from within the Schools Capital Maintenance Programme and is detailed in reports previously submitted for approval.

Legal Implications: Supplied by:  Tony Hatton, Principal Solicitor, tel. 219 6323.

When commissioning contracts for the procurement of goods, services, or the execution of works, the Council must comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and its own Contractual Standing Orders (CSO’s), failing which a contract may be subject to legal challenge from an aggrieved provider. The proposed award of the contracts follows tender exercises under Open Tender or by mini competition in accordance with the Council’s Minor Works and Responsive Repairs Lots 1A and B Lower Value Framework Agreement. This follows earlier Procurement Board approval for officers to undertake a procurement exercise for these services.

The purpose of a framework agreement is to select through a procurement/ evaluation process a number of providers who can meet the service requirements of the Council, as and when those services are required. If they are required then the Council will undertake an exercise to  ...  view the full decision text for item 7.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision

I Councillor Bill Hinds Lead Member for Finance and Support Services in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Scheme of Delegation of the Council do hereby approve:-

(a)  The award of the following contract for a project approved under the current Schools Capital Maintenance Programme:-

(i) Acceptance of the tender from Hodgkinson Bennis in the sum of £167,835.49 for works at Grosvenor Road Primary School to undertake heating distribution replacement works as detailed below.

The Reasons are:  to enable the works to progress as programmed to start on site and be completed at the earliest possible date. 

Options considered and rejected were:Normal approval and acceptance procedures would have resulted in unacceptable delays to the works being completed in time.

Assessment of Risk:  High. The scope of works require that they are commenced during the school summer closure period.

The programme has been developed to achieve the delivery of the contracts to meet the necessary completion dates. 

The source of funding is: The funding source available is from within the Schools Capital Maintenance Programme and is detailed in reports previously submitted for approval.

Legal Implications: Supplied by:  Tony Hatton, Principal Solicitor, tel. 219 6323.

When commissioning contracts for the procurement of goods, services, or the execution of works, the Council must comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and its own Contractual Standing Orders (CSO’s), failing which a contract may be subject to legal challenge from an aggrieved provider. The proposed award of the contracts follows tender exercises under Open Tender or by mini competition in accordance with the Council’s Minor Works and Responsive Repairs Lots 1A and B Lower Value Framework Agreement. This follows earlier Procurement Board approval for officers to undertake a procurement exercise for these services.

The purpose of a framework agreement is to select through a procurement/ evaluation process a number of providers who can meet the service requirements of the Council, as and when those services are required. If they are required then the Council will undertake an exercise to  ...  view the full decision text for item 8.