Table 1
Cabinet Responsibilities and Functions
Policy Co-ordination
1. To advise the County Council on the:
· formulation of its corporate objectives, priorities, standards, key tasks, performance indicators and strategy, including European affairs;
· the overall direction, review and updating of the Council's Financial and Business Plan (the Council Plan), other statutory plans and longer term financial and other plans and strategies;
· nature of and need for actions to be taken in the light of value for money studies and corporate policy reviews;
· economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the Council's activities and the need for new services and the necessity of existing ones;
· overall organisation, co-ordination and management of the Council to ensure that it is designed to make the most effective contribution to the achievement of the Council's objectives;
· Council's policy towards and representation on regional, national and international bodies;
· policies for the promotion of the economic wellbeing of the County which do not erode the County's environmental capital or disadvantage the more vulnerable members of society, and to implement those policies within the guidelines set by the County Council; including co-ordination of the implementation of the County Council's economic strategy across all County Council services;
· priorities for all expenditure in the economic development budget.
2. To ensure the County Council follows best practice in relation to its risk management arrangements.
3. To devise and oversee implementation of the Council's strategy for communication both within the County and beyond.
4. To be responsible for allocating and controlling the financial, staff and land resources of the Council and to act as the corporate client. (The appointment of staff is not a Cabinet function).
5. To provide a focus for community leadership within East Sussex, promoting the economic, social and environmental well-being of the County.
6. To advise the Council on its policies and practices in relation to the impact of the Council's activities on the environment.
7. To advise on any other matters referred to it.
Resources
Finance
8. To advise the County Council on the current and future in respect of both capital and revenue expenditure having regard to the Council's Financial and Business Plan and overall forward programme and their effects on the finances of the Council and on audit issues:
· discuss with the external auditor before the audit commences the nature and scope of the audit, and the external audit fee and consider whether the external audit is of sufficient depth and carried out competently;
· discuss problems and reservations arising from the interim (systems) and final audits and any matters the external auditor may wish to discuss (in the absence of Directors if necessary);
· review the external auditor's management letter (or any alternative source of assurance issued by the external auditor) and the conclusions of value for money studies and make recommendations to the County Council as appropriate;
· review the internal audit programme, ensuring co-ordination between internal and external auditors, and that the internal audit function is adequately resourced and has appropriate standing within the Council and its paid service;
· consider the Chief Internal Auditor's annual report and to report annually to the County Council on internal control within the Council.
9. To advise the County Council on the estimates of bodies which the Council is required to finance.
10. To exercise control over the Council's approved revenue and capital budgets and deal with requests for supplementary estimates, and to vire expenditure where this does not involve a significant change to an existing policy, or development of a new policy.
11. To supervise the borrowing of money authorised by the Council in accordance with the policy laid down by the County Council and to manage the County debt.
12. To exercise the powers and duties of the Council in respect of:
· insurance;
· coast protection; and
· debts and other obligations.
Information Systems/Information Technology
13. To advise upon and implement the County Council's IT and Digital Strategy.
14. To develop and keep under review corporate IT systems.
Property
15. To approve the acquisition, appropriation and disposal of property, including the determination of the future use of all land and property where the current use is to cease.
16. To act as landlord for all property held by the Council, including the provision of office accommodation, accommodation for meetings and common services.
17. To keep under review:
· the land holdings of the Council and to consider future requirements to ensure the most economic and effective use of land in the interests of the Council as a whole;
· land acquisition policies;
· building and building maintenance policies.
This shall include ensuring regular corporate reviews and the setting and monitoring of corporate standards.
18. To exercise the powers and duties of the Council in all matters relating to Magistrates' Courts land and buildings.
19. To make compulsory purchase orders.
20. To exercise the powers and duties of the County Council under any enactment relating to smallholdings.
21. To manage and control all land.
Community Services
22. To exercise all the powers and duties of the Council in respect of:
(a) the Public Library and information service;
(b) archives and records;
(c) museums and assistance for the Arts;
(d) the registration of births, deaths and marriages (but excluding the approval of premises for the solemnisation of marriages) and coroners services;
(e) trading standards, consumer protection and other related matters for the protection of the public, including animal health (except as specifically delegated to the Regulatory Committee);
(f) sport, including joint use of sports facilities, (but excluding physical education and sport at educational establishments) and the development, in co-operation with the borough and district councils, of sport and recreation policies for the County as a whole;
(g) community safety;
(h) emergency planning and the local authority response to major emergencies;
(i) charities;
(j) gypsy and traveller sites.
23. To plan and seek to develop and maintain effective relationships with borough, district and town/parish councils and other public, independent, voluntary and private agencies and representative organisations.
Children’s Services
24. To exercise all the powers and duties of the Council:
(i) as local authority for the County in respect of education for children and young people;
(ii) which under any enactment stand referred to local authorities designated as social services authorities in respect of children and young people;
(iii) in relation to careers.
Adult Social Care
25. To exercise all the powers and duties of the Council:
(i) which under any enactment stand referred to local authorities designated as social services authorities in respect of adults;
(ii) in relation to (a) the issue of certificates to blind persons and (b) the issue of badges for motor vehicles used by people with disabilities;
(iii) in respect of the grant of financial and other assistance to voluntary organisations, in relation to any matters within the purview of the County Council as a social services authority.
Transport and Environment
26. To exercise all the powers and duties of the Council in relation to:
(i) highways and bridges and the traffic thereon, private streets, vehicle parking, litter on highways, road safety and the provision of weighbridges (except those powers delegated to the Regulatory Committee);
(ii) the promotion of a co-ordinated system of public passenger transport; arrangements for the development and operation of public transport including railways and the making of grants towards public transport;
(iii) the preparation of transportation plans and programmes;
(iv) its functions as waste disposal Authority;
(v) the safety of reservoirs and disused tips;
(vi) the management of statutory and permissive footpaths, bridleways and byways (except those powers delegated to the Regulatory Committee);
(vii) oil and chemical pollution.
27. To co-ordinate the use of Council owned plant and transport.
28. To exercise all the powers and duties of the Council:
(i) as County Planning Authority, except those delegated to the Planning Committee, subject to the Cabinet informing the County Council of significant resource and other policy implications for the Council of local plans coming forward for certification;
(ii) relating to ancient monuments and historic buildings;
(iii) on all matters in relation to the management of the coast and the countryside (except those matters in relation to commons which have been delegated to the Regulatory Committee).
General
29. To exercise the general power of competence given to local authorities under section 1of the Localism Act 2011 in relation to executive functions.
Delegations to Individual Cabinet Members
30. The Leader to authorise individual Cabinet members to undertake such executive functions as he or she considers appropriate including to exercise the general power of competence given to local authorities under section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 in relation to executive functions. (In exercising such functions, Cabinet members shall comply with any protocols which are issued from time to time).