Agenda item

An update from the Cabinet Members on key areas within their portfolios are attached.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Corporate Services will be in attendance to answer questions from the Committee.

5.1     The Committee received written updates from the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services and the Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Business & Economic Development on the key aspects of their portfolios. 

5.2     The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services responded to questions on the following issues:

          Business Rates

5.2.1   The Cabinet Member was asked about the government’s feedback to the Council’s consultation response to the proposed Business Rate Transitional Scheme.  Martin Hinckley, Head of Centre, Corporate Finance, advised that the Council had yet to receive a reply although this was not unexpected as the consultation has only just closed.  He believed that the government would put forward regulations to implement a transitional scheme in December.

5.2.2   The Cabinet Member was asked whether the Council had considered putting forward a proposal to government to take over responsibility for the valuation of local businesses as part of the government’s ambition to deliver fiscal devolution.  The Cabinet Member advised that whilst there had been some discussion regarding this, and the proposition sounded attractive, it would need to be supported by a fully worked up business case.

          No PO No Pay and Sundry Debtor Recovery

5.2.3   Members asked about the level of compliance of the requirement for purchase orders to be provided as the principal means of requisitioning supplies and paying invoices.  The Cabinet Member explained that No PO No Pay is being phased in incrementally. The aim is for full implementation by 1 December.  Martin Hinckley advised that whilst some statistics are available a full picture will not be available until the New Year.  The Cabinet Member was also asked about the risks of moving to such an approach when a service improvement plan for Agresso is still being delivered.  The Cabinet Member stated that the Council would not be moving to No PO No Pay unless it was confident that the system was in working order.

5.2.4   Further details were requested about the programme of debt management recovery.  The Cabinet Member explained that the aim was to prioritise the recovery of the largest debts.  He indicated that a key issue was the large number of transactions that needed to be followed up rather than the overall value of unpaid invoices.  Mr Hinckley advised that letters requesting payment had now been issued to all debtors.

          Discretionary Housing Payment Fund

5.2.5   The Committee was informed  that 900 Westminster households had been identified as being likely to be affected when the benefit cap is reduced.  The City Council was in the process of writing to the households in question to forewarn them about the changes and signpost advice on dealing with their impact.  The Cabinet Member was asked about the responses that had been received from households. The Committee also asked whether the Council’s DHP funding for 2017/18 is likely to be of an equivalent amount to that received last year.  In reply to the latter the Cabinet Member replied that it was hoped that an equivalent level of funding would be provided, although the Council would need to await the government’s announcement (expected in December). Mr Hinckley advised that the Council was in the process of sending the letters and any responses will not be known for a couple of weeks.

          Operational Property Strategy

5.2.6   The Cabinet Member was referred to the fact that at its last meeting the committee considered a report on Treasury opportunities.  He was asked how the Operational Property Strategy linked with the Treasury Management Strategy.  The Cabinet Member stated that there wasn’t a direct link between the two strategies.  He explained that the latter is agreed annually by the Full Council and compliance with it is reviewed on a regular basis.  The development of an Operational Property Rationalisation Strategy will help the Council to better asset manage existing assets, make more efficient use of accommodation across the portfolio and, identify surplus property in order to deliver targeted savings.  He advised that releasing surplus buildings and land as a result of rationalisation could create potential development opportunities resulting in revenue generation for the Council.  He explained that the Council has retained the services of a number of professional advisers including property experts to advise the Council in such matters.

          Staff “Your Voice” Survey

5.2.7   The Committee asked about the opportunities to scrutinise the results of the Staff “Your Voice” Survey.  The Cabinet Member believed that a report was ordinarily presented to the Audit and Performance Committee.  He advised that while generally the results were positive one area which did not score very highly was ICT.  He highlighted that this may have been a consequence of the survey being run over a period where there happened to be a major IT issue that affected all users.

          ICT

5.2.8   Members asked about the risks to the Council from emerging cyber attacks and its resilience against them following the move to “cloud computing”.  The Cabinet Member stated that there would always be some inherent risk around IT.  He advised that earlier in the year the Council experienced two outages.  These were caused by a new form of Ransomware which was not covered by WCC antivirus protections.  These were shut down quite quickly.  He considered that it was important to train staff to be aware of the risks as the incidents originated as a result of staff accessing infected data.

5.3     ACTION: 

1.     Councillor Hug would like details of the likely total financial shortfall that will be experienced by the 900 households following a reduction in the benefit cap.  (Action for: Martin Hinckley, Corporate Finance)

2.     Clarify whether the Audit and Performance Committee will be considering the results of the Staff ‘Your Voice’ Survey and/or whether there is an opportunity for the scrutiny committee to do so.  (Action for: Tara Murphy, Scrutiny Officer and Reuben Segal, Committee Officer)

3.     Provide Councillor Hug with details of the number of new affordable homes that are expected to be delivered in the Borough in 2017/18.  (Action for: Barbara Brownlee, Director of Housing & Regeneration)

4.     Provide Councillor Roca with details of the overall number of longer term unemployed people in Westminster.  (Action for: Greg Ward, Director of Economy and Infrastructure)

5.     The Committee would like details of any changes to the revenue targets relating to the procurement of a private market operator to run Berwick Street Market.  (Action for: Greg Ward, Director of Economy and Infrastructure)