MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 2003 COMMENCING AT 10.00 AM


Present :

 

Mr V J Morey (Chairman), Mr B E Abraham, Mr J R Adams, Mr A C Coburn, Mrs B E Foster, Mrs M A Jarman (deputising for Mrs B Lawson), Mr C H Lillywhite, Mrs M J Miller, Mr G P Price, Mr I R Stephens, Mr A A Taylor


Apologies :

 

Mr C B W  Chapman, Mrs B Lawson


Portfolio Holder :

 

Mr D J Knowles


Also Present (non voting) :

 

Mr A C Bartlett, Mr R A Sutton




16.      MINUTES


RESOLVED :

 

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 2003 be confirmed.

 

17.      DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST


Mrs M A Jarman, Mr J R Adams and Mr C H Lillywhite declared a personal interest in Minute 20 - Hackney Carriage Working Party - as they were members of the Licensing Committee.

 

18.      BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF JUNE 2003


The Select Committee considered the report of the Chief Financial Officer on the revenue and capital expenditure as at the end of June 2003.


RESOLVED :

 

THAT the budget monitoring report be noted.

 

19.      BEREAVEMENT SERVICES ISSUES


The Head of Consumer Protection presented his report on a number of issues that had been discussed by the Bereavement Services Task Group. These arose as a result of an independent asset condition survey that had been commissioned on properties located at cemeteries. The surveys recommended that revenue spending in the region of £125,000 was needed to return assets to an acceptable condition.


The Bereavement Services Task Group was of the opinion that Ventnor Lodge at Ventnor Cemetery, the Old Mortuary at West Street, Ryde and land at Shanklin cemetery should be declared surplus to requirements and a proportion of any revenue received should be ring fenced for Bereavement Services purposes. The Executive had agreed to ring fence money with regard to funding accommodation moves within the Council so the Select Committee believed that a precedent had already been set.


The Select Committee considered there was still a considerable amount of work to be undertaken by the Task Group and that it should continue to operate.


RESOLVED :

 

           (i)        THAT Ventnor Lodge at Ventnor Cemetery, the Old Mortuary at West Street, Ryde and Land at Shanklin Cemetery be declared surplus to requirements.

 

           (ii)       THAT the revenue of any assets sold that are deemed surplus to requirements should be ring fenced for Bereavement Services purposes.

 

           (iii)       THAT the Bereavement Services Task Group should continue operating.

 

20.      HACKNEY CARRIAGE WORKING PARTY


(Mrs M A Jarman, Mr J R Adams and Mr C H Lillywhite declared a personal interest in the following item as they were members of the Licensing Committee. Mr A C Coburn declared a personal interest in the following item as he was a taxi driver).


The Select Committee were told that a review had been undertaken by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and it was necessary to consider the future of the Hackney Carriage Working Party. It was proposed that policies in relation to a range of licensing issues, including all matters concerning hackney carriages and private hire vehicles and drivers, would be dealt with directly by the Licensing Committee. The Licensing Committee would determine how subsequent consultation arrangements with the trade should be structured.


Members questioned their role as they had scrutinised the trade in the past, drawn conclusions and made recommendations in relation to dezoning and no subsequent action appeared to have been taken in relation to that. The Head of Consumer Protection advised members that a draft report had been prepared for the Executive in February 2003, but he had been advised to do more consultation before bringing the report to Executive.


The Select Committee asked for the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to attend the meeting and questioned him on several points. He advised the Select Committee that Executive and Licensing functions were set out in Statutory Instruments issued in 2000 and 2001. Operational decisions affecting a licensee would go to the Licensing Committee. Policy also formed part of the Licensing Committees remit, but some high level policy issues, such as dezoning, did not fall under the remit of Licensing but would be taken to Executive.


Members believed that it would be more beneficial for the Hackney Carriage Working Party to come under the Environment and Transport Select Committee because of their connection with the Local Transport Plan which took into account public transport. It was suggested that Select Committee Support could undertake some research into how other authorities consulted with the taxi trade and a report be taken to the Environment and Transport Select Committee.


RESOLVED :

 

           (i)        THAT the Hackney Carriage Working Party be disbanded.

 

           (ii)       THAT any future consultation with the taxi trade should be structured through the Environment and Transport Select Committee.

 

21.      MEMBERS’ QUESTION TIME


Mr I R Stephens asked where the report on the Council’s responsibilities under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act was, as it had been scheduled to be before the Select Committee for the last two meetings. The Head of Select Committee and Best Value Support advised that the issue had been raised with the Chief Executive Officer and it was anticipated that he would write a letter of explanation to the Chairman of the Select Committee and a report would be brought to the September 2003 meeting of the Select Committee.


Mr D J Knowles asked why he could not get hold of anyone in Crime and Disorder as he was trying to sort out a problem for a constituent in his area. It was indicated that the officers concerned were on leave.


Mrs M A Jarman asked if the field next to the crematorium was the most appropriate place to hold a circus. The Head of Consumer Protection told Mrs Jarman that although he would prefer to have the circus away from the crematorium, it had been a commercial decision taken by the landowner, but the Council had worked with the circus to minimise disruption.


Mr R A Sutton asked if a plan had been formulated to lobby Ministers so that a regional fire control room could be set up on the Isle of Wight. The Portfolio Holder told the Select Committee that a party would be sent to London in the fight to keep the fire control room on the Isle of Wight.


 

 

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN