Agenda for Overview and Scrutiny Board on Monday 18th August 2014, 6.00 p.m.

Agenda and minutes

Overview and Scrutiny Board - Monday 18th August 2014 6.00 p.m.

Venue: The Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove. View directions

Contact: Amanda Scarce 

Items
No. Item

30/14

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J. S. Brogan and P. Lammas.

31/14

Declarations of Interest and Whipping Arrangements

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

Minutes:

Councillor S. R. Colella declared an other disclosable interest in respect of item No. 3 as his father was in receipt of particular benefits under his acute care package.  The Executive Director, Finance and Resources confirmed that the dispensation signed in respect of the Council Tax would cover this item.

32/14

Council Tax Support Scheme Review pdf icon PDF 159 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman provided background information as to why the special meeting of the Board had been called.  He explained that following the last full Council meeting this item had been referred back to Cabinet.  However, Councillor C. J. Bloore had subsequently contacted the Chief Executive and following discussions with the Leader, it had been agreed that this meeting take place, together with a special Cabinet and full Council meeting on 20th August 2014.

It was confirmed that any recommendations from the Board would therefore be considered at that Cabinet meeting.

 

The Executive Director, Finance and Resources presented the report and explained that she would break this down into three areas; the timeline, costs of the aborted consultation and the revised consultation, taking questions between each section.  During the presentation of the report the following areas were highlighted:

 

·         The Local Government Finance Act 2012 required each billing authority to consider whether to revise its scheme or to replace it each financial year.

·         Consultation was only statutory with preceptors and this was a Cabinet decision, the final decision on a proposed scheme would be taken by full Council as this would be a formal change to the budget and policy framework.

·         In September 2012 Cabinet received a report explain the changes to the Council Tax Benefit Scheme and its replacement with the Council Tax Discount Scheme, with a reduced level of Government funding.

·         This was then followed with an 8 week “soft touch” consultation period through the press, Customer Service Centre and letters to BDHT, Parishes and Precepting bodies.  One response had been received.

·         Further reports and a verbal update was received by Cabinet in January and July 2013 when details of the projected financial shortfall for 2014/15 for the Council Tax Support Scheme was provided.  The detail was agreed at the July 2013 full Council meeting and Members were provided with the specific minute, which it was noted did not state the financial year it related to.

·         Following this Officers had assumed that Members would be reviewing the scheme again for 2015/16.  Again, the agreement to go to consultation on this basis would be a Cabinet  decision, the results of which would go back to Cabinet and Council to agree a final scheme.

 

Members raised the following points in respect of the timeline:

 

·         The confusion which had occurred at the recent full Council meeting and whether Officers had been aware that the item was likely to cause a problem.

·         Any pre meeting discussions which were carried out between Officers and the Leader/relevant Portfolio Holder.

·         The item was “resolved” in the Cabinet minutes and therefore it was not anticipated that there would be an issue.

·         The potential “increase” in Council Tax which any changes would cause for, in many cases, some of the most vulnerable residents in the District.  Officers explained that this was due to a change in legislation and an opportunity to develop a scheme and to consider reducing Council Tax discount.

 

The Head of Customer Access and Financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32/14

33/14

To consider any other business, details of which have been notified to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services prior to the commencement of the meeting and which the Chairman, by reason of special circumstances, considers to be of so urgent a nature that it cannot wait until the next meeting.