Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor John Fillis and, in respect of item 5, County Councillor Sean Serridge and County Councillor Kim Snape.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None declared.

County Councillor Jennifer Mein, Leader of the County Council, outlined some of the key achievements during the Administration's first year of office which were based on the key priorities of: supporting the most vulnerable; preparing for the future; and boosting the local economy.

Achievements and ongoing initiatives included:

-  The introduction of the Living Wage

-  Working towards ending zero hour contracts

-  Early Action Response Unit

-  Enhanced free bus travel for children and young people not in education, employment and training

-  Refurbishment of Adult Day Centres

-  Introduction of 0300 Telephone Numbers

-  White Ribbon Charter in respect of Domestic Violence

-  Secured £100m for flood defences

-  Re-negotiating the relationship with BT

-  City Deal status

-  Growth Deal announcement

-  Heysham M6 Link

-  £56m funding for road repairs and additional funding for pot holes

Resolved: - That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 June 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

County Councillor Bill Winlow, Chair of the Executive Scrutiny Committee, confirmed that the recommendations set out in the reports for consideration by Cabinet had been confirmed without modification or amendment at the meeting of the Executive Scrutiny Committee held on 11 July 2014.

Resolved: - That the report of the Chair of the Executive Scrutiny Committee, now presented, be noted.

A number of the County Council Champions attended and presented their annual reports, together with a summary of activity and expenditure, for the period 1 April 2013 - 31 March 2014.

County Councillor Darren Clifford, Champion for Armed Forces Veterans, referred to the signing of the Armed Forces Community Covenant in November 2013; relationships with the Districts and the financial support provided to a number of projects, as highlights of 2013/14.

County Councillor Cynthia Dereli, Champion for Parishes, referred to the development of relationships, through visits and meetings, with the parishes and the financial support provided to a number of projects, as highlights of 2013/14. Parishes had been asked to consider public health in developing projects and to align them with County Council priorities.

County Councillor Gareth Molineux, Champion for Disabled People, referred to visiting local voluntary organisations and meeting a wide range of caring people, together with the financial support provided to a number of projects, as highlights of 2013/14.

Resolved: - That the annual reports of the County Council's six Champions for 2013/14 as set out at Appendices 'A' - 'F' of the report, now presented, be noted and the Champions be thanked for their work during 2013/14.

County Councillor David Borrow, Deputy Leader of the County Council, and Gill Kilpatrick, County Treasurer, presented a report setting out an update on the financial forecast based on the information on demand flowing from the 2013/14 outturn and a number of other announcements since the County Council's budget was set in February 2014.

The report set out a revised forecast spending gap to 2017/18 of £162.205m as best case or £165.792m as worst case which included updated forecasts of demand for children's and adult social care and changes around the Care and Urgent Needs Scheme and Council Tax Support Hardship Schemes.

It was reported that a number of external factors would bring pressures such as the, yet unknown, implications of the Care Act which had been the subject of a meeting between the Leader, Deputy Leader, County Council Network and Lancashire MPs; the Winterbourne Concordat with a potential cost of £2.4m and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards with a potential cost of £2.9m.

It was reported that the Deputy Leader would be writing to Lancashire MPs outlining the potential impact on the County Council of these external factors and inviting MPs to attend a briefing on the issues during the Parliamentary Summer recess.

It was important to note that the forecast was subject to change and it was reported that the County Council's Management Team was undertaking contingency planning to address any negative changes to the forecast going forward. Further reports would be submitted to Cabinet updating on any changes to increasing demand and the impact on the forecast.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  The issues identified in the updated financial forecast, as set out at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be noted;

(ii)  The representations to MPs, as reported at the meeting, on the new burdens identified within the forecast, be noted.

County Councillor David Borrow presented a report setting out proposals for the appointment of County Council representatives to various outside bodies for 2014/15. The report also set out details of bodies where County Council representation was no longer required and which could be deleted from the list.

County Councillor Marcus Johnstone requested that officers look further at the Arthur Edmonson Quinn Bequest and Padiham Youth Centre Advisory Committee where no response had been received to recent enquiries as to the continuing appropriateness of County Council representation. It was also noted that Pennine Prospects should be included on the list of appointments to be made with County Councillor Albert Atkinson as the representative.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  Subject to the inclusion of Pennine Prospects, the representation and appointments listed in Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, for outside bodies for 2014/15, be approved and Group Secretaries be authorised to fill any remaining vacancies or make any changes and to notify the Chief Executives of the appointments;

(ii)  Officers make further enquiries regarding the Arthur Edmonson Quinn Bequest and Padiham Youth Centre Advisory Committee;

(iii)  In light of information received, the deletion of the bodies listed in Appendix 'B' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, presented a report setting out the Lancashire Youth Justice Service Continuous Improvement Plan for 2014/15.

The report set out the key service priorities which included: Reducing first time entrants into the Youth Justice System; reducing re-offending and reducing the use of custody.

In line with the County Council's Constitution, Cabinet was being asked to recommend the Continuous Improvement Plan to Full Council for approval.

Resolved: - That the Lancashire Youth Justice Service Continuous Improvement Plan for 2014/15, as set out at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be recommended to Full Council for approval in accordance with the County Council's Constitution.

Resolved: - That the report, now presented, on Key Decisions taken by the Leader of the County Council, Deputy Leader of the County Council, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, and the Interim Director for Environment, respectively, be noted.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There was no urgent business to be considered.

The next meeting of the Cabinet will be held on Thursday 11 September 2014 at 2.00 pm at County Hall, Preston.

The Cabinet noted that the next meeting would be held on Thursday 11 September 2014 at 2.00pm at County Hall, Preston.

Cabinet is asked to consider, whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, it considers that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Local Government Act, 1972 as indicated against the heading to the items, and that in all circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Resolved: - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972,  the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and that in all circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

County Councillor Janice Hanson, Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Waste, and Steve Browne, Interim Executive Director for Environment, presented a report setting out proposals around the Waste Management PFI Project.

Resolved: - That the recommendations set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor David Borrow, Gill Kilpatrick, County Treasurer, and Mike Jensen, Chief Investment Officer, presented a report setting out proposals for financing the County Council's borrowing requirement.

Resolved: - That the recommendations set out in the report, now presented, be approved.