Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Wednesday, 8th September, 2021 6.30 pm

Venue: Committee Room, Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston PE21 8QR

Contact: Lorraine Bush, Democratic Services Manager  Tel. no: 01205 314224 e-mail  lorraine.bush@boston.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

15.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 337 KB

To sign and confirm the minutes of the last meeting, held on 23rd June 2021.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 23rd June 2021 were agreed and signed by the Chairman.

16.

APOLOGIES

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were apologies for absence from Councillor Richard Austin.

17.

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

To receive declarations of interests in respect of any item on the agenda.

Minutes:

None.

18.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

To answer any written questions received from members of the public no later than 5 p.m. two clear working days prior to the meeting – for this meeting the deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, 3rd September 2021.

Minutes:

None.

19.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY (STANDING ITEM)*

Minutes:

None.

20.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOSTON TOWN AREA COMMITTEE (BTAC) (STANDING ITEM)

Minutes:

None.

21.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON THE REGULATION OF INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT 2000 (RIPA) pdf icon PDF 591 KB

(A report by Christian Allen, Assistant Director - Regulation and RIPA Co-ordinator/SRO)

Portfolio Holder: Councillor Paul Skinner

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

 

DECISION

 

That the revised Policy and Procedures on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), set out at Appendix A, be approved.

Portfolio Holders and Officer

 

PS/CA

 

 

 

REASON FOR DECISION

 

The Assistant Director - Regulation introduced a report, which provided Cabinetwith an opportunity to review and approve the Council’s revised Policy and Procedures on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), and to be assured that it remained up-to-date and fit forpurpose.

 

The RIPA Policy had undergone a review since the formation of the Strategic Alliance between the Council and East Lindsey District Council and following a joint audit of both authorities by the Investigatory Powers Commissioners Office (IPCO) in March 2021.

 

The Strategic Alliance had provided the opportunity to bring together best practice from each authority in the light of the advice from the audit, producing a single policy across the alliance that reflected Home Office guidance. 

 

The revised joint policy was being submitted to the Cabinet/Executive Board at both authorities for approval as sovereign organisations with accountability and responsibility for compliance with RIPA.

 

The Leader expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the review and the revised document, which had been produced by sharing best practice.  Another Member commented that the review would lead to more responsive services and the document would be useful for Members to identify officers with specific responsibilities.  

 

In response to a question, the Assistant Director reported that all public bodies with statutory enforcement responsibilities had to adhere to RIPA.

 

 

 

OTHER OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

 

Do nothing and maintain two separate polices.

 

 

 

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

None.

 

 

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

 

None.

 

22.

QUARTER 1 REPORT - PERFORMANCE, PROJECTS, RISK AND FINANCE pdf icon PDF 582 KB

(A report by Suzanne Rolfe, Transformation Manager, and Tim Sampson, Finance Manager)NB: Appendix C is marked to follow

 

Portfolio Holders: Councillors Paul Skinner and Jonathan Noble

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

 

DECISION

 

1.    The quarterly monitoring information for Q1 2021/22 be noted.

 

2.    The approach to risk management for 2021/22 be agreed.

 

3.    The specific Finance Recommendations set out in the report be approved as follows:

·         F1 - Reserve movements as detailed in Table 5

·         F2 - Updated capital programme as detailed in Table 7

·         F3 - Supplementary estimates in respect of Rough Sleeper Initiative and Verify Earnings & Pension, as set out in Table 9

·         F4 - Supplementary estimates in respect of COVID-19, as set out in Table 10

·         F5 - procurement exemptions in respect of the Rough Sleepers Initiative and the Arts Project for the Boston Town Heritage Project funding

 

4.      The recommendation in F3 to increase Bulky Waste collection prices above those approved in the Budget be deferred to the next meeting.

 

Portfolio Holders and Officer

 

PS/JN

 

SR/CM

 

 

 

 

REASON FOR DECISION

 

Cabinet considered the Quarter 1 Report, which set out performance, projects, risk and finance monitoring information for the period April to June 2021.

 

The Leader referred to the new format in which the information was presented following agreement of an updated performance management framework across the Strategic Alliance to support joint delivery of services.  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) had also been agreed through the service planning process to capture performance against the Council’s Corporate Strategy and East Lindsey District Council’s Strategic Aims.

 

Where new measures had been introduced, the initial targets had been set without the benefit of past data; however, it would be possible to review and refine targets where appropriate in Quarter 2.

 

The report also contained an update on the progress of key projects across the Alliance as at the end of Quarter 1.  An updated project management framework had been agreed across the Alliance, including monthly reporting to the corporate management team and quarterly reporting to the Council’s Cabinet and East Lindsey’s Executive Board.

 

The next area for review was the risk management framework to provide a consistent approach across the authorities, which would be brought together for reporting in Quarter 2.

 

A Member commented that although more specific details were reported to the relevant Portfolio Holders, that information remained available to the public.  The Leader added that, quite rightly, the report gave more detail of Boston’s Town Deal and other major projects and covered high-level strategic performance.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance presented the finance information for Quarter 1, as set out in Appendix C, and asked Cabinet to approve the specific recommendations contained within it, as follows. 

 

F1 – Table 5 showed the level of earmarked reserves held at the beginning of the year, movements in the year, and the projected position at 31 March 2022 and approval was sought for the reserve movements.

 

F2 – Table 7 showed the approved capital programme for 2021/22, as reported to Full Council on 1 March 2021, subsequent slippage from 2020/21, as presented in the outturn report in June 2021, plus other known in-year changes, together with actual spend to the end of Quarter 1.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.