Agenda and minutes

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 disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Sub-Committee;

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that no interests were declared.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2015 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

A Member of the Sub-Committee requested clarification regarding the question on the fifth question of Minute 29.  The Chair responded that the Member’s question should be forwarded to the Environmental Leads for further information.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of 6 January 2015 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive any public questions received in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 17 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.

[The deadline for receipt of public questions is 3.00 pm, Monday 23 March 2015.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions, petitions or references were received at this meeting.

Report of the Director of Finance and Assurance.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of Finance and Assurance, which had previously been considered by Cabinet on 19 February 2015.  The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Major Contracts assisted the Director in delivering the report.

Following a brief overview of the report by the Director of Finance and Assurance, Members asked the following questions and received responses from the Director and the Portfolio Holder:

·                     Q:  What plans were in place to deal with the introduction of Universal Credit, and the implementation of the Care Act 2014?

A:  Some money from the Better Care Fund had been set aside for the implementation of the Care Act.  The total cost was as yet unclear, but Officers would be watching the cost carefully once the Act was implemented.  There had been discussions about different boroughs being part of a pilot scheme for a small number of recipients of Universal Credit, and contingency funds were there for the pressure of this.

·                     Q:  How did the demolition of Grange Farm stack up as a mitigation of the costs of housing people in bed-and-breakfast accommodation?

A:  Properties that had been bought back from leaseholders were being used as short-term accommodation for people who were being housed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and almost every vacant property that had become available in Harrow was being used for homeless families.

·                     Q:  Was this not being considered in 2013?

A:  This had been proposed by the Portfolio Holder for Housing, and was featured in the manifesto.  Arrears had risen by a third due to benefits cuts and a 40% cut in the Discretionary Housing Fund.

·                     Q:  How many houses had been built by this administration?

A:  No houses had been completed, but the building process was underway for a number of homes.

·                     Q:  Had rent increases above inflation affected arrears?

A:  Most rental arrears had come from the private sector. Benefit cuts and a 40% reduction in the Discretionary Housing Fund were the main contributors to arrears and homelessness.

·                     Q:  Will the Council receive money from the Home Office at the end of the Council’s financial year?

A:  The Council had budgeted to receive money from the Proceeds of Crime Act, but the amount received would probably be less than in previous years.  The money would usually come from large fraud / wholesale crime.

·                     Q:  At what stage in the year did the bed-and-breakfast problem become apparent?

A:  The increase in people who require bed-and-breakfast accommodation had risen in a linear fashion, and was a big issue for the Council.

·                     Q:  Had the option of moving people who couldn’t afford rents in Harrow out of the borough been explored?

A:  There were a few initiatives, but these tended not to be taken up by families whose children were at an important time in their education such as their GCSEs.

·                     Q:  If the Council is in reach of 62% of the total capital programme, what progress has been made towards being better at spending?

A:  A scrutiny panel had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Enterprise.