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ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE- 24
NOVEMBER 2003 WIGHT LEISURE
EXTERNALISATION REPORT OF THE HEAD OF LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC
SERVICES |
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
To enable the Select Committee, pending the publication of a report into
the externalisation of Wight Leisure, to scope its own future activity in
relation to that process.
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ACTION REQUIRED
BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE 1. To receive
information about the progress of work by the Chief Financial Officer and
Monitoring Officer. 2. To determine
whether or not to add further consideration of the externalisation process to
it’s work programme before 2004, and if so to adopt terms of reference. |
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on 4 June 2003, the Executive
endorsed the proposal by the Chief Financial Officer and Monitoring Officer to
undertake an investigation designed to establish:
The two Statutory Officers commissioned Tony
Hall, of the Institute of Public Finance (who had previously undertaken a stock
taking review of the externalisation process), to assist in the investigation
and drafting of the report.
The full Terms of Reference of the
investigation are set out as Appendix
2.
Work planned to take place over the summer
was completed on time and the next steps for delivering the draft into the
public domain were planned to the timetable set out at Appendix 1. That timetable was deliberately ambitious as
the future of the Wight Leisure service cannot be determined until this process
is completed and speed is, therefore, of the essence.
Unfortunately, a combination of factors not
planned for in the original timetable, has meant that the commentaries from all
those entitled to comment on the draft circulated on the 3 October, were
not received until 7 November. No blame
attaches to individuals who had difficulty responding in the planned
timescales, each of whom kept in contact with the report authors, explaining
the difficulties they had encountered and negotiating additional time.
Revised dates for delivery of the report into the public domain are
attached as Appendix 1. Members of the
Select Committee will appreciate that their revised timetable is also very
tight and cannot be adhered to if any of the remaining steps are slipped for
whatever reason.
It will be
difficult for the Select Committee to determine precisely which steps (if any)
and to what timetable it wants to plan pending publication of the report. However, the following draft Terms of
Reference should enable the Select Committee to move, in a single meeting, from
receiving the report to beginning to take evidence to inform any
recommendations and formulating those recommendations.
Draft Terms of Reference:
1.
To receive the
report of the Chief Financial Officer, Monitoring Officer and Tony Hall.
2.
To take evidence
from:
3.
In order to
make recommendations to:
About the acceptance/rejection, implementation, timing and/or manner of
implementing the recommendations of the report.
It will be noted that the draft Terms of Reference do not suggest taking
evidence from those involved in the externalisation process. The three report authors and those who have
co-operated in the drafting of the report, have devoted a substantial amount of
time and energy into investigating the circumstances of the failed
externalisation process. Whilst the
Select Committee will wish to form a view as to the quality of the report and
the robustness of the recommendations it advances it is suggested that, at
least at this stage, the Select Committee should not plan to revisit work
already undertaken by and on behalf of the Statutory Officers.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The report in question will be a significant
contributor to learning the lessons of past corporate governance weaknesses in
order to deliver the improvements in corporate governance described in detail
in the CPA Improvement Plan and in the Corporate Plan.
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER
IMPLICATIONS
This scoping report creates no specific
implications under any of the above headings other than to confirm that the
Terms of Reference proposed are within ambit of Section 21 Local Government Act
2000.
APPENDICES ATTACHED
Appendix 1 – Delivery Timetable
Appendix 2 – Terms of
Reference
None.
Contact
Point : John Lawson,
Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer, ext 3216, e-mail [email protected]
Paul
Wilkinson, Chief Financial Officer, ext 3650,
e-mail
[email protected]
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
APPENDIX 1
|
Action
|
Planned
Date
|
Revised
Date
|
Responsible
|
|
Inform
relevant staff of critical path/dates to publication |
W/C 15 September |
Achieved |
David Pettitt |
|
Third draft report |
28 September |
Achieved |
Finalise draft report |
|
Brief to Counsel on Monitoring Officer Issues |
29 September |
24 November |
John Lawson |
|
Draft to interviewees/others identified for comments on accuracy |
30 September |
3 October |
John Lawson |
|
Fourth Draft |
TBC |
19 November |
John Lawson/ Paul Wilkinson |
|
Draft report to Grainne O’Rourke for external challenge |
12 October |
24 November |
John Lawson |
|
Brief Portfolio Holder/Leader |
W/C 20 October |
W/C 16 December |
Mike Fisher/David Pettitt/(?) |
|
Published |
TBC |
W/C 16 December or 5 January |
Authors |
|
Directors Group draft corporate response |
TBC November |
8 January (TBC) |
David Pettit |
|
Report to Executive |
TBC |
28 January (TBC – later if wish Select Committee input first) |
Leader/Paul Wilkinson/ John Lawson |