Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Kuldeep Lakhmana (Councillor Lynne Allen was present as her substitute).

RESOLVED:  That all items of business be considered in public.

It was agreed that reference be included in the minutes to the concern expressed by residents that a new GP practice was no longer going to be created at the top of Church Road, Hayes. 

The Chairman noted that an additional meeting needed to be set up to talk to The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (THH). 

RESOLVED:  That, subject to the above amendment, the minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2019 be agreed as a correct record.  

The Chairman welcomed those present to the meeting.  He noted that there had been observations made by residents and Councillors about post office coverage in the Borough. 

Mr Owain Mumford, External Affairs Manager at Post Office Limited (PO Ltd), advised that PO Ltd was a business wholly owned by the Government.  It had 11½k branches across the country, many of which operated from within existing local businesses.  It was very much a commercial business with a well-defined social purpose and aimed to support, for example, those in the community that were more vulnerable, who didn’t have access to a vehicle, lived in particularly rural areas, etc. 

Members queried whether there was any tension between the public service remit and the commercial side of the business.  Mr Stuart Taylor, External Affairs Manager at PO Ltd, believed that the social influences and commercial business married well.  He noted that there were a growing number of customers who needed more support and that PO Ltd had provided a broader range of services to meet this need, for example, foreign currency, banking services and bill payments.  These additional services had been secured within a competitive business environment. 

Mr Mumford noted that PO Ltd was not immune from the pressures of the High Street and, of the 175 services provided (which included banking), only one was a monopoly (postal orders).  The business had been challenged by Government to become self-sustaining and progress was being made with profit being made every year for the last three years (this money had been reinvested into the branch network).  Although PO Ltd was effectively still in receipt of a reducing Government grant to provide services and subsidies, it had been gradually gaining a more stable financial footing with profits reinvested in technology, service improvements, etc. 

Mr Taylor advised that the organised did not underestimate the value of post office services in rural and urban areas.  He noted that PO Ltd had been working with banks to ensure that a range of banking services continued to be available from post offices after local bank branches had closed. 

Members were advised that the majority of post office branches were run on a franchise basis.  Combining a shop with a post office created a symbiotic relationship and often meant that post office services were accessible for longer periods each day with only one set of overheads. 

Mr Taylor advised that the UK network was currently stable with no closure programme planned.  Mr Mumford noted that there were 35 branches in Hillingdon which were all franchises.  29 of these were currently operating (17 main post offices providing all services, 3 local post offices in small retail units, 8 local+ branches and 1 sub post office branch) and the following 6 were currently closed:

1.    Hayes End – short term operational issues being experienced;

2.    Yiewsley – short term operational issues being experienced;

3.    Harmondsworth – closed some time ago but difficulties being experienced in identifying a business to provide the service as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s Work Programme.  It was noted that the Committee meeting on 11 February 2020 would be focussing on crime and disorder.  Members requested that, in addition to the usual performance update report, they receive:

1.    an overview of the interaction between the police and the Council's ASB team;

2.    an update on the effectiveness of the tri-Borough / BCU arrangement - in terms of new ways of working and its impact on crime in the Borough since its implementation as well as a comparison with how the new arrangements had impacted on crime and disorder in Hounslow and Ealing; and

3.    further detail of police strategies for the treatment of / engagement with young people.

It was noted that, subject to the appointment of Councillor Jane Palmer as the Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, a replacement Member would be required to sit on the Select Panel for its review into dental services. 

A briefing note providing an update in relation to the review of cancer services at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre had been circulated to Members of the Committee via email. 

It was noted that a number of Members of the Committee sometimes struggled to attend meetings that started at 6pm.  To address this, the Chairman proposed that, from 11 February 2020, meetings of the External Services Select Committee would start at 6.30pm.

RESOLVED:  That:

1.    topics for discussion at the meeting on 11 February 2020 be passed to Ms Jaqui Robertson;

2.    a replacement Member be identified to sit on the Select Panel;

3.    future meetings during the remainder of the municipal year start at 6.30pm; and

4.    the Work Programme be noted.