Agenda item

To hear the Call-In of any decisions made at the Cabinet meeting prior to this meeting or made by Cabinet Members, other Council Committees or a delegated officer and published within five working days of this meeting.

Members should bring their Cabinet agenda to the meeting.

Members should consider any other decisions published in the five working days before this meeting.

The purpose of this meeting is to decide whether to refer back any decision to the decision maker.

Members gave consideration to the Cabinet reports of 18 February 2010 and after careful consideration Members decided not to call-in any decision made by the Cabinet at their meeting.

However Members asked for further clarification and information on two issues contained in Agenda Item 6 – the Council Budget – General Fund Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2010/11.

On page 3 of the report under “Revenue Savings and Growth” – Clarification was sought on the £10.3 million of savings for 2010/11 and Members asked if this figure was a new saving or the cumulative total of savings rolled forward.

[Subsequent to the meeting officers provided the following response:

The £10.3 million of savings for 2010/11 are listed in Appendix 5 of the report.  They are stated as compared to the current year budget for 2009/10.  Therefore the baseline that they are measured against is the 2009/10 revenue budget.  The figure therefore does not include savings either made in previous years or included in the 2009/10 revenue budget.]

On page 37, under the legal implications paragraph of the report, reference was made to the Government’s refusal of this Council’s application for a Capitalisation Direction. Members asked officers for an explanation for this refusal.

[Subsequent to the meeting officers provided the following response:

The Council applied to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to be able to capitalise potential losses from unreturned deposits made in failed Icelandic banks.  This application was made in December 2009 as part of the 2009/10 capitalisation applications process.  This is as described in paragraph 61 of the report.  The Council was notified that the application was refused on 29 January 2010.  The letter said “we consider that the circumstances are not sufficiently exceptional to justify the issue of a capitalisation direction in respect of the Icelandic investments”.  No explanation has been given for this beyond a statement that “Ministers … were not satisfied that the financial difficulties were sufficiently exceptional to justify the issue of a capitalisation direction”.  The Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and Borough Solicitor do not consider that this represents an adequate explanation for the refusal of the application.  The Council is seeking more details of the basis for the Government’s decision and that the required process was followed.  They have consulted with the Leader of the Council.  Further actions are being taken as described in page 37 in the final paragraph of legal comments.  The Council and other Councils with the support of the Local Government Association are seeking to persuade DCLG to change its view.]

A minor point was also made in relation to Agenda Item 11 – The Drive, Ickenham – Application to Modify the Definitive Map and Statement to add a Footpath. The report had the footpath as being situated in Hillingdon East Ward rather than in Ickenham.         

Resolved -    

1.      That the decisions made by Cabinet at their meeting on 18 February 2010 be endorsed and noted and no call-in be made of any decision. 

      2.   That officers be asked to provide clarification and information on the two issues outlined above.