Issue details

A decision is being made as to whether to approve the use of the Covid Local Support Fund to provide food vouchers for eligible pupils aged 2-19 years old for the six week school summer holiday. In November 2020 the government announced a package of targeted financial support for eligible pupils over the winter period (the Covid Winter Grant Scheme). The initial scheme was extended on a further two occasions and on 21 June Councils were informed that the scheme had been extended again up to 30 September 2021. Under the latest extension to the scheme East Sussex County Council will receive additional funding to the value of £1,501,111.
Under the requirements of Regulation 9 of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the Council is required to give 28 days notice of a key decision identified within the scope of these regulations. It is considered that the item referred to above is a key decision and for the reasons of special urgency outlined below, compliance is considered impracticable, and an exception to Regulation 9 is therefore sought under Regulation 11. Accordingly the Chair of the People Scrutiny Committee was consulted and gave her consent on 1st July 2021.
It is considered impracticable to comply with the requirements of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 because:
In response to measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic a decision needs to be taken by 1st July 2021 to enable the deployment of the Covid Local Support Funding in time for the school summer holiday.

This notice will be available for viewing at County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes BN7 1UE and has been published on the County Council’s website.