Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

122.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND NOTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

 

The Vice-Chairman, Councillor Stephen Wells, expressed his displeasure that representatives from KPMG, the Council’s former auditor for 2016/17 and 2017/18, were not present at the meeting to answer questions.

123.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

124.

QUESTIONS

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions that are not specific to reports on the agenda must have been received in writing 10 working days before the date of the meeting - by 5pm on Monday 25th January 2021.  

 

Questions specifically on reports on the agenda should be received within two working days of the normal publication date of the agenda.  Please ensure that questions specifically on reports on the agenda are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Wednesday 3rd February 2021.

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

 

125.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 25 NOVEMBER 2020

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 25th November 2020 be confirmed.

 

 

126.

PAY POLICY STATEMENT 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 335 KB

Minutes:

Under the Localism Act 2011, the Council was required to approve and publish a Pay Policy Statement every year, and Committee received a report introducing the 2021/22 Statement.

 

The chairman identified two corrections that needed to be made to the report -

·  in paragraph 7.12, line 1,  “employee” should be changed to “employees”

·  In paragraph 7.13, the words “…will be hearing a judicial review challenge in March 2021,…” should be deleted.

 

The Committee noted that it would normally receive a report on the proposed staff pay award at this meeting – the Chairman confirmed that a special meeting was being arranged for 25th February 2021 to enable the Committee to make a formal recommendation to Council once the proposed pay award was announced. There would be no delay to the implementation of any pay  increase.

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to approve the 2021/22 Pay Policy Statement.

127.

MEMBERS ALLOWANCES SCHEME 2021/22

Minutes:

Report CSD21001

 

The regulations governing Members Allowances required the Council to approve a scheme of allowances each year, and the Committee considered the proposed scheme for 2021/22 to be recommended to full Council. The scheme was based on the 2020/21 scheme, with no increases in allowances proposed.

 

The Committee noted that Councillors serving on Appeals Sub-Committee meetings often had to take part in long meetings and deal with large volumes of paperwork in the same way as members serving on other “quasi-judicial” meetings. It was therefore proposed that a similar allowance be paid, per day, for Appeals Sub-Committee meetings. The Committee was informed that these costs could be covered within the existing budget.

 

Councillor Gareth Allatt suggested that the roles of the Chairman of Audit Sub-Committee and Chairman of Pensions Investment Sub-Committee involved significant responsibilities and workloads and the levels of these allowances should be enhanced. The Chairman responded that this should be taken into account for the next year’s review.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1) Members Allowances, and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances, remain at the same levels for 2021/22.

 

(2)  A “quasi-judicial” allowance be paid for attendance at Appeals Sub-Committee meetings at the same rate per day as for Plans and Licensing Sub-Committee meetings.

 

(3) Council be recommended to approve the updated Members Allowances Scheme and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances for 2021/22.

128.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS - ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report CSD210002

 

The Committee received summaries from the six Executive Assistants of the work that they had carried out during the 2021/22 Council year.

 

(Councillor Kira Gabbert declared an interest during consideration of this item as she held one of the Executive Assistant posts.)

 

RESOLVED that the reports from Executive Assistants be received and noted.

129.

PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report CSD21

 

The Committee considered the proposed programme of meetings for the 2021/22 Council year. The programme had been subject to extensive consultation with members and officers, and was broadly based on the pattern of the current year. The Committee noted some final changes affecting meetings of the Schools Forum – a meeting was required on 16th September 2021 and the meeting indicated for 21st April 2022 was deleted.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1) The programme of meetings 2021/22 be approved.

 

(2) The Director of Corporate Services be authorised to adjust the programme in accordance with any changes made to committees by Members, and to make minor corrections to the programme as necessary.

130.

APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 194 KB

Minutes:

Report CSD21020

 

The Committee received a report informing them of a vacancy on the Beckenham Parochial Charities. As there was no nominee for the role the report was deferred.

131.

WORK PROGRAMME AND MATTERS OUTSTANDING pdf icon PDF 219 KB

Minutes:

Report CSD21004

 

The Committee considered its work programme.

 

EY were due to attend the meeting on 23rd March 2021 when the outcome of the 2019/20 audit would be reported. Councillor Stephen Wells stated to the Committee that KPMG should also attend.

 

RESOLVED that the work programme be noted.

132.

PENSIONS INVESTMENT SUB-COMMITTEE: MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD ON 13 FEBRUARY, 28 JULY, 15 SEPTEMBER AND 1 DECEMBER 2020, EXCLUDING EXEMPT INFORMATION pdf icon PDF 202 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The draft  minutes from the meeting of the Pensions Investment  Sub-Committee meetings held on 13th February, 28th July,  15th September and 1 December 2020 were received.

 

Councillor Tony Owen raised concerns about the role of the London CIV. He referred to a recent Supreme Court case – the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign Ltd versus the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government  – regarding the responsibilities of local government pension fund trustees.  He considered that, particularly in the light of this judgement, the Council should give notice that it would be leaving the London CIV at the end of March. Councillor Gareth Allatt, as the Vice-Chairman of the Pensions Investment Sub-Committee, explained that the Council was required to be a member of a CIV, but had not invested any funds. The Pensions Investment Sub-Committee shared Councillor Owen’s scepticism, but withdrawing from the CIV would mean risking the possibility of the Government taking control of the pension fund. The Committee noted Councillor Owen’s concerns.

 

 

133.

AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE: MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 3RD NOVEMBER 2020, EXCLUDING EXEMPT INFORMATION pdf icon PDF 341 KB

Minutes:

The draft minutes from the meeting of the Audit Sub-Committee meeting held on 3rd November 2020 were received.

 

134.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS AMENDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) (VARIATION) ORDER 2006 AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

The Chairman to move that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business referred to below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

 

The following summaries

refer to matters involving exempt information

 

135.

PENSIONS INVESTMENT SUB-COMMITTEE: EXEMPT MINUTES - 13 FEBRUARY, 15 SEPTEMBER & 1 DECEMBER 2020

Minutes:

The draft  exempt minutes from the meeting of the Pensions Investment  Sub-Committee meetings held on 13th February, 15th September and 1 December 2020 were received.

 

136.

AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE: EXEMPT MINUTES - 3RD NOVEMBER 2020

Minutes:

The draft exempt minutes from the meeting of the Audit Sub-Committee meeting held on 3rd November 2020 were received.