Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from committee members.

Councillors Roger Hall and James Hockney sent Apologies. Councillor Bunty Waters attended as substitute for Councillor Hall.

In the absence of Councillor Hockney, the Committee agreed that Councillor Henry Batchelor act as Vice-Chairman of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2015 as a correct record.

The Committee authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2015.

There were no public questions.

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Chief Executive and other County Council representatives will be in attendance to present this item. As background to this, the County Council’s Business Plan can be viewed via the following link:

http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/CommitteeMinutes/Committees/AgendaItem.aspx?agendaItemID=12736

The following officers from Cambridgeshire County Council addressed the Partnerships Review Committee, namely:

·       Gillian Beasley - Chief Executive

·       Claire Bruin - Service Director, Adult Social Care, Children, Families and Adults (CFA) Directorate

·       Graham Hughes - Executive Directors Economy, Transport and Environment

Gillian Beazley summarised the purpose of the meeting, and said that from 2017-18, the County Council would consult District Councils prior to its Budget-setting meeting so as to ensure a greater degree of joint working by encouraging meaningful input into the process.

Claire Bruin gave a presentation on behalf of CFA. In doing so, she referred to a set of PowerPoint slides that had been prepared befored the County Council’s budget-setting meeting. The slides covered

·       The gross CFA budget for 2016-17 and its net budget from 2016-17 to 2020-21

·       Strategy

·       Older people and adults with mental health needs

·       Adult Social Care

·       Looked after children

·       Enhanced and preventative services

·       Learning

Committee members discussed a number of issues arising out of the presentation both among themselves and with County Council officers present.  Of particular concern was the impact on

·       Adult Social Care

·       School transport

Graham Hughes gave a presentation setting out the Business Plan proposals - Economy, Transport and Environment (ETE) Directorate. In doing so, he referred to a set of PowerPoint slides that had been prepared before the County Council’s budget-setting meeting. The slides covered

·       Background

·       ETE Budget

·       Available budget for savings

·       Savings requirements

·       ETE approach to Business Plan

·       ETE – headline proposals

·       Latest position

Committee members discussed a number of issues arising out of the presentation both among themselves and with County Council officers present.  Of particular concern was

·       The cost of waste disposal

·       The process for repairing highways

·       Winter gritting

·       Implications for Economic Development within the county

·       Street lighting

·       Implications for community transport

·       Legal issues surrounding the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

To consider update reports from Members appointed to represent the Council on outside bodies.

The Committee received and noted reports from Council representatives on the following Outside Bodies:

·       Cambridgeshire Advisory Group on Archives and Local Studies

·       Cambridge Airport Consultative Committee

·       Health and Wellbeing District Members Board

To consider the Partnerships Review Committee’s work programme. The Council’s Corporate Forward Plan is attached to consider items for possible future scrutiny.

The Committee noted the Corporate Forward Plan attached to the agenda.

The Chairman suggested that the Committee should scrutinise local N.H.S. processes and practices. It was noted that N.H.S. England would be appearing before the County Council’s Health Committee on 25 February 2016.

Members also considered looking at personal transport budgets.

Thursday 21 April 2016 at 2pm.

The next Partnerships Review Committee meeting had been scheduled provisionally for 21 April 2016.