Agenda and minutes

The Chairman noted apologies from Cllr Nick Forbes CBE ( Lab), Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE (Con), Cllr Paul Carter CBE (Con), Cllr Rishi Shori (Lab), Cllr Stephen Parnaby OBE (Con), Cllr Stephen Houghton CBE (Lab), Cllr David Finch (Con), Cllr Terry O’Neill (Lab) and Cllr Lib Peck (Lab).

He also noted that Cllr Vince Maple (Lab) was attending as a substitute.

There were no declarations of interest.

Jonathan Gratte, Strategic Finance Manager, introduced the LG Group Budget for 2019/20. Members noted that the full LG Group Budget report contained information which was confidential at this stage, and would be considered in Part 2 of the agenda. 

A concern was raised regarding whether the LGA receives income from the tobacco industry and it was suggested that developing an ethical income policy be considered. The Chairman reassured Members that the Leadership Board had agreed to review this issue.

Decisions

The LGA Executive:

1.    Agreed the LG group’s Budget for 2019/20 as recommended by the LGA Leadership Board; and

2.    Endorsed the LGA Leadership Boards delegation to make necessary budgetary adjustments to reflect the final grant notification from MHCLG to the LGA Chairman and Group leaders, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA Brexit Task Force, to give an update on the work that the LGA has been undertaking to support councils on work related to Britain’s exit from the EU.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA’s Brexit Task Force, updated Members on the LGA’s work on Brexit since the previous meeting. Cllr Bentley emphasised that the LGA continued to press for powers to be further devolved to Councils post-Brexit.

In the discussion which followed Members raised the following points:

·         Concerns were raised regarding the lack of clarity around whether the Shared Prosperity Fund would be led by the Local Enterprise Partnerships or by Councils. This would be discussed by Group Leaders.

·         Members expressed their thanks to Cllr Bentley for ensuring the views of local authorities in port areas had been represented where the LGA’s Brexit Task Force had met with Government.

·         In response to a query on Welsh representation Cllr Bentley informed Members that WLGA officers had attended LGA Brexit meetings and that he would continue to push for WLGA member representation at ministerial meetings.

·         Cllr Bentley reassured Members that issues regarding the future local skills needs were regularly discussed in his meetings with Government.

Decision

The LGA Executive noted the update. 

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the Resources Board paid tribute to Cllr Clarence Barrett who passed away on Friday 2 March. He particularly emphasised all of Cllr Barrett’s valuable contributions in his role on the Further Business Rates Retention and Fair Funding Review Task and Finish Group.

Cllr Watts introduced the report which provided a summary of LGA work on the Fair Funding Review and Business Rates Retention since the previous meeting. He explained that next steps included reconvening the officer level groups with MHCLG, and the Further Business Rates Retention and Fair Funding Review Task and Finish Group would meet the following day to discuss relevant issues. Cllr Watts also emphasised the need to push for an earlier Local Government Finance Settlement, the provisional date was expected to be in December 2019.

Members expressed concerns that Business Rates would still be insufficient for local authority funding. Cllr Watts emphasised that there was a need for both a short and a long term strategy for this going forwards. He also raised the LGA would need to continue to consider what exactly an alternative system would look like.

Decision

The LGA Executive:

1.          Noted the report; and

2.          Agreed that delegated authority be given to the Chairman and Group Leaders to sign off the LGA commissioned model of the alternative administration of Business Rates Retention.

Decision

The LGA Executive noted the minutes of the LGA Leadership Board meeting held on 6 March 2019.

Decision

The LGA Executive agreed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 January 2019.

Jonathan Gratte, Strategic Finance Manager, introduced the report and highlighted that the Budget for 2019/20 had been prepared under the assumptions which had been noted at the previous meeting in January 2019. The final Budget was presented for agreement and as had been recommended by the LGA Leadership Board the previous day.

There followed a confidential discussion.

Decisions

The LGA Executive:

1.    Agreed the LG Group’s Budget for 2019/20 as recommended by the LGA Leadership Board;

2.    Endorsed the LGA Leadership Board having delegated authority to make necessary budgetary adjustments to reflect the final grant notification from MHCLG to the LGA Chairman and Group Leaders, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive. 

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the Resources Board, introduced the report which provided an update on the LGA’s planned activity ahead of the 2019 Spending Review. This included policy and research work, campaign work, and current and future planned engagement with both the sector and Government.

Decision

The LGA Executive:

1.    Noted the report; and

2.    LGA Executive agreed that the LGA analysis on spend on children’s services be published.

Action

Spending Review work to continue as set out in the report (Sarah Pickup). 

Mark Norris, Principal Policy Adviser, and Charles Loft, Senior Adviser, introduced the report which summarised the recommendations of the LGA Fire Commission’s automatic fire suppression systems working group. The recommendations were supported by the LGA Fire Commission and the Fire Services Management Committee, and included recommendations for new buildings, retrofitting of older buildings, and buildings where vulnerable people sleep.

There followed a confidential discussion.

Decision

The LGA Executive agreed the recommendations of the Fire Commission’s automatic fire suppression systems working group as supported by the LGA Leadership Board.