50. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2004 be agreed.

51. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations at this stage.

52. FORWARD PLAN

The Head of Select Committee and Review Team advised members of the items of relevance which were contained in the Forward Plan for the period February – May 2005.

53. BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF NOVEMBER 2004

The Portfolio Holder presented the budget report which set out the spending position on revenue for services within the Committees remit, as at the end of November 2004.

The homelessness budget was a particular pressure area and it was anticipated that the projected overspend would continue to increase during this financial year bringing a prospective overspend of £320,000. It had been discovered that when the budget had originally been set the number of people estimated for was incorrect. The Housing Manager was currently looking at the position.

Members discussed the efficiency saving that had been made and were told that these were sustainable.

In considering the Housing Programme the Select Committee asked why money had been committed but not yet spent. The Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing advised members that the process was quite lengthy as plans had to be drawn up and planning permission applied for. He had been working with planning colleagues to streamline the process. Members asked that detailed information on the surplus shown in the budget in relation to long term leases, homelessness, building works and Section 106 Agreements be brought to the next Adult and Community Services Select Committee.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES :

That detailed information on the surplus shown in the budget in relation to long term leases, homelessness, building works and Section 106 Agreements be brought to the Adult and Community Services Select Committee due to be held on 24 February 2005.

54. HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL AND SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL LOCAL AUTHORITY HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEES: FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN NHS PROVISION

The Chairman introduced Denise Holden the Health Review Manager for Hampshire County Council.

The Chairman believed that it was important to have a structure for assessing substantial changes within the NHS. The framework had been already been adopted by Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council.

Denise Holden gave a presentation to the Select Committee outlining the proposed framework for assessing substantial change in NHS provision. She told members that under the scrutiny of health arrangement Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) had the ability to scrutinise any NHS plans to substantially change or vary health services, although the term substantial was not defined in the legislative framework. Section 7 and Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act were clarified for members.

The Select Committee believed the framework appeared to take the Council to a certain point and stopped. Members wanted to know what the role of monitoring decisions was to be and what action would be taken because of what was said. Further actions could be tied into the powers OSCs already had. There was an obligation on the part of the Health Authority to respond to those concerns within 28 days. Should the Committee not be satisfied there were three grounds on which to take further action.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE AND REVIEW TEAM :

(i) The Framework for assessing substantial change in NHS provision be adopted as good practice.

(ii) An addition to be included within the Framework outlining actions that can be taken by Overview and Scrutiny Committees when agreement could not be achieved.

55. UPDATE FROM THE PWC TASK GROUP

Members were given an update on the work that had been undertaken by the PWC Task Group. The Task Group had been requested to look at Governance of the proposed new Trust. The Select Committee was advised that contact had been made with members of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel who were willing to give independent advice.

The Select Committee were told that the Transition Steering Board were anxious that the timetable of April 2006 for the implementation of a Trust was not set in stone. The Board indicated that it would not prescribe change for change sake.

56. HEALTHY LIFESTYLES TASK GROUP UPDATE

The Chairman of the Task Group, Councillor Roger Mazillius, indicated the Task Group were working on fewer issues than they had started with as things like obesity and healthy eating initiatives were being undertaken elsewhere on the Island. Members asked how the Isle of Wight compared with national figures on obesity and smoking.

The Select Committee were told of a local primary school where children were growing their own vegetables. A rota had been introduced whereby the children spent a portion of their lunch hour tending to the raised beds. The school had recently held its first sale of vegetables. Members believed that such an initiative should be encouraged in other schools around the Island.

The Task Group had investigated smoking as an additional piece of work and had discovered that a number of harmful additives were added to cigarettes. An approach should be made to Government asking that the additives be removed. The Director of Public Health, Dr Paul Bingham had agreed to add a paragraph to the Public Health Report. There was some suggestion that the Council could put their own no smoking policy forward.

The Chairman of the Task Group indicated that he tried to get hold of pedometers for staff and member use, offering to pay for a batch and being reimbursed at a later date. The Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services advised that he would be willing to see if funding for pedometers could be obtained through the Executive.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES :

The Portfolio Holder explore ways for pedometers to be brought and distributed to members and staff as part of the Council’s Healthy Lifestyle Strategy.

57. MEMBERS’ QUESTION TIME

Mr J F Howe asked a question in relation to the Rowlinson Paintings. The Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services indicated that the Council were moving to a position where an agreement had been reached with a local gallery. Limited edition prints would be sold both locally and nationally. A bid had been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to for monies to convert the old court rooms at the Guildhall into a 19^th century salon in which to display the original pictures.

Mr D Gardiner asked how far had Social Services had got with answering the question Mrs Hague had asked at the 18 November 2004 meeting. She believed the response given at that time, that it was Government Policy, was inadequate and incorrect. The Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services believed the problem was still being looked at.

CHAIRMAN