Agenda item

            The Chief Executive reminded the Committee that the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, was negotiating currently with Ministerial colleagues within the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the Review of Public Administration Local Government reform process and progressing the necessary legislation, including the Local Government Boundaries (Northern Ireland) Order and the Local Government (Reorganisation) Bill.  Discussions were ongoing also in relation to how the reform programme would be funded.  It was understood that, if no legal agreement around those critical issues were secured within the coming weeks, then the already tight legislative timetable would be unachievable and the Local Government reform programme as proposed could be at significant risk.  He pointed out that, as a result of the recent Hillsborough Agreement, a Cross-Party Ministerial Working Group had been established to undertake a trawl of all Executive business, which would include the Review of Public Administration, with a view to recommendations being made on how progress could be achieved on all outstanding matters by the end of February.

            The Chief Executive referred to a speech which had been made by the Environment Minister at the previous day’s Northern Ireland Local Government Association Conference in relation to collaboration across Councils.  The Minister had indicated that Councils would be given one week to commit to collaboration and efficiency savings arising from the creation of a single Waste Authority and a new Business Service Organisation or plans for the Reform programme would be at risk.  The Chief Executive explained that Councils generally were of the view that it was not necessary for an additional level of bureaucracy to be imposed by way of the new Business Services Organisation.  Rather, the Councils’ opinion was that real and substantial efficiencies could be achieved through voluntary co?operation.  He pointed out that there were a number of collaborative programmes which the Council was involved in currently through Information Services Belfast, the Legal Services Department and its association with arc21 and a number of other opportunities which the Council would be investigating in due course.

            The Committee noted the current position in relation to the Review of Public Administration, endorsed officers exploration of collaborative opportunities with other Councils and noted that suggestions in this regard would be taken forward through the Efficiency Plan which would be brought before the Committee.

Engagement with Lisburn and Castlereagh

            The Chief Executive explained that, not withstanding that a final decision had yet to be taken on the new Local Government Boundaries, the Council had entered into a process of discussion and engagement at both Member and officer level with the voluntary Transition Committee and Transition Management Team of Lisburn and Castlereagh Councils.  To date there had been two meetings of the Joint Transition Committees, at which a high-level joint programme of scoping work had been agreed.  That work was essential to enable the relevant baseline information to be captured in relation to assets, liabilities, staffing and service delivery standards in order to inform future political discussion.  It had been agreed that that information would be important to inform the planning process and ensure that the transition could be managed in an effective and efficient manner and service continuity maintained throughout.  He stated that initial officer engagement with Lisburn and Castlereagh had been productive and some progress had been made with regard to the agreed programme of work.  However, during recent weeks there had been limited engagement with officers from both those Councils and an apparent cessation to the release of information.

            He advised the Committee that Council officers had compiled an initial asset log which had identified those assets located in Lisburn and Castlereagh which would fall within the proposed new Belfast City Council boundary.  A detailed service audit had been prepared also by the Council which had identified potential harmonisation issues.  Both sets of information had been passed to Lisburn and Castlereagh for consideration and input.  Again, however, limited information had been forthcoming to date.  The next joint meeting of the voluntary Transition Committees was to have been arranged by Lisburn/Castlereagh during January, 2010.  However, despite continuous requests, that meeting had not as yet been scheduled.  He pointed out that correspondence, dated 1st February, 2010, had been received on behalf of the Transition Committee for Lisburn and Castlereagh requesting a meeting between the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of both voluntary Transition Committees to discuss future engagement.  While further clarification had been sought as to the proposed agenda for the meeting, there had been no response received to date.

            After discussion, the Committee noted the comments of the Chief Executive and agreed the Council should respond to the request for a meeting between the Chairs of the Transition Committees, by indicating that they would prefer a full meeting with an agreed agenda between the full Transition Committees with a detailed agenda for the meeting being agreed and circulated beforehand and with the meeting being supported by Council officers.

            Transfer of Functions

            The Chief Executive reported that the Assembly Departments which were transferring functions to Local Government were finalising draft proposals with regard to how the transfers would be undertaken and those proposals were to be submitted to the Strategic Leadership Board on 25th February with a view to being issued subsequently to Councils for consideration.  While Council officials were assisting with bringing the proposals together, under the auspices of the Transfer of Functions Working Group, the Council would clearly need to give full consideration to the emerging Departmental proposals and the potential resource implications for Belfast.  The working assumption of the Departments which were transferring functions was to move forward on the basis of an eleven Council delivery model, which could adversely impact on the level of resources available for Belfast.  A number of Members commented on the need for Departments to take into account targeting social need and the fact that there were many areas of deprivation across the City.  The Chief Executive undertook to submit a detailed report to the Committee in March outlining the emerging Departmental proposals and the associated implications for the Council.