Consultation Committee work programme and budget proposals

Report: 11
Date: 31 October 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

Members considered proposed work programme and draft consultation budget at a special meeting of the Consultation Committee on 23 September 2002 in order to ensure that the Finance Committee could consider the budget submission as part of the overall MPA growth bid for 1003/04. The report is now presented for detailed consideration.

A. Recommendations

That

Members comment on the work programme for 2003 – 2004, and propose amendments as required.

B. Supporting information

1. Members supported growth items in 2003/04 proposed on 23 September 2002 and request the Finance Committee to consider these alongside other proposed new initiatives in the context of the overall budget. While the committed items (policy officer and two consultation coordinators) will proceed, Finance Committee agreed the inclusion from the total list of potential new initiatives of rape havens and MPA deputy clerk/policy officer. All other new initiatives, other than additional policy officers, will be reconsidered in December following the grant settlement. At the time, no detailed discussions were held on the draft work programme, however, the report recommended that members should have the opportunity, at the next regular meeting, to discuss in detail, the proposals, and to prioritise those areas that should be further developed.

2. The budget summary presented to the 23 September meeting is attached at Appendix 1.

3. More detailed work programmes, which include activities that were not included in the growth bid is attached at Appendix 2.

Community Consultation Coordinators

4. Following the publication of the Best Value Review of Consultation, the Authority agreed to pilot the recommendations that proposed that consultation coordinators should be appointed in each borough to support local consultation. Due to the cost associated with the recommendation of the Authority agreed that the recommendation should be piloted in a small number of boroughs so that the learning can inform the need to more extensive implementation.

5. Following a lengthy delay in agreeing the funding for the four pilots approved by the then Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Committee, steps were put in place to recruit the four consultation coordinators. However, due largely to delays in the process, only two consultation coordinators were appointed, one for Kensington and Chelsea and one for Hackney. These individuals are now in post.

6. However, as part of the budget process for 2003/04, the costs for the remaining consultation coordinators have been identified as growth bids and it will therefore not be possible to carry out any further appointments in this financial year. This will be externally disappointing for the two remaining boroughs and will result in extreme delays in the learning that could be derived from the best value recommendation of 2000.

C. Equal opportunities and diversity implications

The equal opportunities and diversity implications are contained in Appendix 1.

D. Financial implications

The Financial implications are contained in Appendix 1.

E. Background papers

Consultation Committee, Report 3, 23 September 2002

F. Contact details

Report author: Julia Smith, MPA.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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