Agenda and minutes

34.1     RESOLVED – that he minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 8 March 2016 be approved as a correct record

35.1     Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book

Report by Chief Operating Officer

36.1     The Committee considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer in relation to proposed updates to Procurement Standing Orders.

36.2     The Committee RESOLVED – to recommend the County Council to approve the revised Procurement Standing Orders as set out at Appendix 1

Report by Assistant Chief Executive

37.1     The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive regarding the Council’s submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in respect of the review of East Sussex County Council electoral boundaries

37.2     The Committee noted that the LGBCE hadagreed to an extension of the deadline to 12 July but with consequential effects. These are:

·         The extension does not apply to the Borough and District Councils

·         It will delay the Commission’s consideration of the Council’s submission from August to September; this in turn will constrain the Commission’s ability to allow for any further draft recommendations for the County Council should that facility be needed. Should this need occur, the Council  would miss the opportunity to use the new boundaries at the 2017 election

·         The LGBCE have requested a copy of the Council’s draft submission ahead of 12 July submission date, preferably around the close of consultation for the districts and boroughs on 16 June. This draft submission would therefore need to be approved by mid-June.

37.3     In light of this and in order not to delay the process and to ensure that this is dealt with in an efficient manner, it was proposed that the LGBCE be informed that the Council will meet the 16 June deadline. In order to achieve this it is proposed that:

·         any County Councillor who wishes to make specific comments for inclusion in the County Council’s submission is requested to liaise with Member Services officers as soon as practicable, and at the latest by 26 May 2016 to enable responses to be considered;

·         the cross party Boundary Review Reference Group be requested to meet and consider areas where the LGBCE proposals differ from the County Council’s submission

·         the County Council delegates authority to the Governance Committee to consider all proposed amendments from County Councillors and the Boundary Review Reference Group and agree the Council’s final submission to the LGBCE

37.4     The Committee RESOLVED - to recommend the County Council to delegate authority to the Governance Committee to agree the Council’s response to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s review of East Sussex County Council boundaries

Report by Director of Children’s Services

38.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding proposals to increase the annual leave entitlement for senior staff paid on Soulbury pay scales

38.2     The Committee RESOLVED to:

1)    agree an increase of two days annual leave per annum from the current annual leave entitlement for senior Soulbury staff paid at spinal column points EIP 15 and EPB 4 or above;

2)    agree that this change be backdated, effective from 1 April 2016

Report by Chief Operating Officer

39.1     The Committee considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer regarding proposed amendments to staff travel policies to enable ordinary commuting costs to be met by the Council where employees are required to have more than one permanent workplace

39.2     The Committee RESOLVED to:

1)            agree that the relevant staff travel policies are amended as set out in Section 3 of the report to allow the payment to existing employees of a ‘workplace travel allowance’ for the reimbursement of additional ordinary commuting costs, including tax and National Insurance, associated with attendance at a secondary workplace, where an employee would otherwise suffer a significant financial detriment; and

2)            agree that such reimbursement only applies to existing employees; staff appointed from outside of the County Council will not have an entitlement  

Report by Assistant Chief Executive

40.1     The Committee considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive regarding the allocation of places on committees, sub-committees, panels and other bodies to the six political and independent groups.

40.2     The Committee RESOLVED to:

1)            delegate authority to the Chair of the Committee, in consultation with members of the Committee, to update the tables in Appendix 1 to reflect the outcome of the St Helens and Silverhill by-election on 5 May 2016; and

2)            recommend the County Council to allocate to political and independent groups the places on, and membership of, the main committees as set out in Appendix 1, subject to an amendment to reflect the outcome of the by-election.