Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Finance and the Executive Member for Community Involvement

The Executive Member for Finance, Cllr Milner, distributed an update of key issues and progress in his portfolio area, and gave answers to questions submitted in advance. The Executive Member answered supplementary questions put to him by the Committee as follows:

Q – Is there any reason for the 2% uplift in the Government’s grant to Haringey and will it have any impact on services and council tax?

A – Haringey has not been singled out in any way, the same conditions have been applied to around two thirds of all London Boroughs. This is due to more funds being directed at areas of deprivation in the north of Britain. Haringey does well on specific grants such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, and education funding now goes directly to the schools. There are no planned cuts in services as efficiency savings will be made by reducing back office functions and ploughing the savings into frontline services.

Q – In which areas will savings be made?

A – Savings should be made in areas such as procurement, agency contracts and the SAP project, which will provide savings worth £1m over two years.

The Executive Member for Community Involvement, Cllr Reith, distributed an update of key issues and progress in her portfolio area, and gave answers to questions submitted in advance. The Executive Member answered supplementary questions put to him by the Committee as follows:

Q – What is the total figure of net costs for Haringey People?

A – The total budget for Haringey People is £294k. We are going to push for greater advertising content now we can demonstrate that it is delivered to every household in the Borough. I will provide a full answer regarding net costs in writing to the Committee within ten days.

Q – What is the role and decision making power of the Voluntary Sector Grants Committee?

A – The Voluntary Sector Grants Committee agrees the policy of the awarding of grants against set criteria. I can provide further information on the decision making power of the Committee in writing to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee within ten days.

Q – What will the newly expanded Neighbourhood Management teams be working on?

A – The Neighbourhood Management teams will be working on an action plan for their own areas, which will be in conjunction with the areas’ local groups.

Q – What progress has been made on the proposed library in White Hart Lane ward?

A – Suitable premises have yet to be identified, but the proposal remains a priority for the libraries team.

RESOLVED:

i)                    That the Committee’s thanks to the Executive Members for attending be noted.

ii)                  That the Executive Members’ briefings and answers to questions be noted.