Agenda and minutes

The Panel received a report of the Director of Community and Cultural Services, which presented the applications for funding and the grants-based service level agreements for 2008/09. Subsequently it was:

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to Cabinet)

That (1) the decisions detailed at Appendix 1 of these minutes be agreed;

(2)  the overall grants budget of £762,610, the inflation additions to salaries and the individual grant allocations be approved;

(3)  the reserved grant of £1,000 to Flash Musicals be withdrawn and used as an under spend for allocation in the financial year 2007/08;

(4)  a grant of £15,000 to the Harrow Heritage Trust be awarded out of the Council’s Capital Programme for the financial year 2008/09;

(5)  Girlguiding Middlesex North West and K.S.I.M Senior Citizen Association, groups not recommended for grant by officers, both be awarded £4000 grant each for the financial year 2008/09.

[Reason for Recommendations: To enable the allocation of funding to voluntary organisations for 2008/2009].

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following declarations of interest were declared:

Agenda Item 9: Grants Applications 2008/2009

(i)                   Councillor Mrs Anjana Patel and Councillor David Gawn both declared a prejudicial interest in relation to the grant application for Harrow Mencap. Councillor Mrs Anjana Patel stated that this was due to the fact that she was a Member of the Harrow Mencap Board.  Accordingly, they both left the room and took no part in the discussion or decision when the application was considered.

(ii)                 Councillor David Gawn declared a personal interest due to his involvement with Harrow in Europe.  Accordingly, he remained in the room when this application was discussed.

(iii)                Councillor Myra Michael declared a personal interest due to the fact that she was a representative of the Council at Harrow in Europe.  Accordingly, she remained in the room when this application was discussed.

(iv)                Councillor Stanley Sheinwald declared a personal interest as he was Chairman of the Carers Partnership Group.  Accordingly, he remained in the room for the discussion of all items.

(v)                  Councillor Don Billson declared a personal interest as he was involved with the Harrow Association of Voluntary Service. Accordingly, he remained in the room for the discussion of all items.

(vi)                Councillor Joyce Nickolay declared a personal interest in the following organisations.  Accordingly, she remained in the room for the discussion of all items:

Agenda 21 Environmental Forum

Bentley Priory Nature Reserve

Harrow Association of Voluntary Services

Harrow Citizens Advice Bureau

Harrow in Europe

Harrow Sports Council

Harrow Weald Common Board of Conservators

(vii)               Councillor Asad Omar declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Harrow Council for Racial Equality.  Accordingly, he remained in the room for the discussion of all items.

(viii)             Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Pakistan Society of Harrow. Accordingly, he remained in the room for the discussion of all items.

(ix)               Mike Coker, adviser to the Panel declared a prejudicial interest in that he was an Executive Director of Community Link Up.  Accordingly, he left the room and did not take part in the discussion or decision making for this application.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2007 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2007 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

[Note:  The Panel’s policy (Minute 60:  28.07.03) in principle is not to receive deputations relating to individual grant applications].

[Note:  The Panel's policy (Minute 13: 06.07.06) is to receive deputations annually at its November meeting].

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To note the appointment of Mike Coker as the advisor to the Panel for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

RESOLVED:  That the appointment of Mike Coker as adviser to the Panel for the remainder of the Municipal Year be noted.

Report of the Director of Community and Cultural Services.

Further to Recommendation 1, in response to queries, officers confirmed that:

·                     there was no set amount that the Panel should keep for contingency;

·                     all organisations were encouraged to find alternative sources of funding.

When questioned regarding the issuing of grants to groups which fell outside the published criteria, a legal officer advised the Panel that if they were to recommend grants to groups which fell outside the criteria then they would have to be mindful of the advice given by the adviser to the Panel.  This advice was that when recommending grants, the Panel needed to ensure that the voluntary sector was confident in the criteria - the integrity of the criteria needed to be respected.  The legal officer also advised the Panel that if they were to depart from the policy agreed by Cabinet then the Panel must be fair, transparent and well reasoned.   The Panel would need to consider the other organisations that did not meet the criteria in the policy and that others may not have applied due to the requirements of the policy.  In response to a concern raised by a Member, the legal officer confirmed that decisions made outside of agreed policies were at risk of legal challenge or complaint.  The legal officer also advised that if Cabinet were to change the policy it would first need to follow due process that was likely to involve consultation with the voluntary sector.

The Chairman commented that in recommending that grants be issued to Girl Guiding Middlesex North West and K.S.I.M Senior Citizen Association, the reason would be that these groups had previously been funded by the Council.  A Member commented that she thought it was important for Harrow Council to fund Girl Guiding Middlesex North West as it was providing a service in conjunction with the London Borough of Hillingdon and so it was important that Harrow paid its ‘fair share.’

Copies of the original applications were available at the meeting for the Panel’s use.  The Panel were appreciative of the confidential information in the original applications during discussions.

RESOLVED:  That the above be noted.

In accordance with the Advisory and Consultative Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution) it was:

RESOLVED:  At (1) 9.56 pm to continue until 11.00 pm;

(2)  10.56 pm to continue until 11.11 pm.