Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, in order to facilitate the Review of Public Administration reform process, voluntary Transition Committees had been established in each of the proposed new eleven Council areas.  In terms of the Belfast Voluntary Transition Committee, it had been agreed that the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee would undertake that role with a second Committee meeting scheduled each month to deal with Transition-related business.

            The Chief Executive pointed out that the Transition Committees had been established to work towards setting up the new eleven Council model through the undertaking of the required preparatory work to facilitate the convergence of amalgamating Councils and the transfer of functions from central to local government.  That was intended to pave the way for the Statutory Transition Committees to be established in early 2010 in order to take key decisions in advance of the new Councils coming into effect in May, 2011.

            In order to support the work of the voluntary Transition Committees, the Department of the Environment had allocated a £150,000 annual transition grant to fund Members’ Allowances for participation on those Committees, that is, £2,700 Member Allowance per annum, the temporary appointment of a Change Management Officer and any support costs directly associated with the Review of Public Administration transition process.  The Chief Executive informed the Committee that he had received recently a letter from the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, informing Councils that, given the absence of clarity on the way forward for the Review of Public Administration and the current financial pressures facing the Department, a decision had been taken to suspend the funding for voluntary Transition Committees with effect from 31st October, 2010.  The Minister had indicated also that the funding for Change Managers would continue up until 31st March, 2011 in order to support Councils in their endeavours to find potential efficiency savings and that the established Review of Public Administration implementation structures, for example, the Strategic Leadership Board and Policy Development Panels, would be stood down with immediate effect.

            He reminded the Committee that, while the decision to schedule a second monthly meeting of the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had been predicated on dealing with transition/modernisation-related business, the Members might wish to consider retaining the two meetings per month until the end of the financial year as scheduled.  That would provide the Committee with further scope to consider important corporate issues such as the development of the new Corporate Plan, financial planning and efficiency, capital programme, city investment, performance management, organisational development, alongside other routine Committee business.  Alternatively, the Committee might wish to consider reverting back to the position prior to the establishment of the Voluntary Transition Committee whereby there would be only one scheduled Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting per month.

            After discussion, the Committee:

(i)   noted the removal of funding for the Council’s Voluntary Transition Committee with effect from 31st October;

(ii)  agreed that a letter be issued to the Environment Minister outlining the Council’s concerns in regard to the impact that such a decision might have on any future prospect for local government reform; and

(iii)agreed to continue to hold two meetings per month of the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for the remainder of the financial year as scheduled in order to deal with, in particular, financial matters.