Agenda item
PRE-DECISION SCRUTINY OF UNRESTRICTED CABINET PAPERS
To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.
(Time allocated – 30 minutes).
Minutes:
The following pre-decision questions submitted to the Mayor in Cabinet [03 December, 2014].
Agenda Item 6.1
Interim Disposals Programme
Question: The Committee asked that the Mayor defers the decision on the proposals for the disposal of the land and buildings in Whitehorse Road/Commercial Road until the Commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State are in place.
Summary of response received at Cabinet: We are seeking Cabinet consent to approve the proposed sale of legacy problematic buildings on Whitehorse/Commercial Road. Cabinet resolve to dispose will commence a chain of events that will involve the valuation, appointment of selling agents, updating of planning briefs/statements and preparation of marketing packs, all of which will take a number of months. By the time Officers are ready to present the properties to the open market, likely March 2015, Commissioners will be in place, and having agreed, if necessary, the disposal policy/rationale going forward; there will be the opportunity to halt the sale pending alternative agreements with Commissioners. We suggest that we proceed with readying the properties for sale, thereby limiting continued cost exposure to cyclical squatting, and that we continue to seek Cabinet resolve in December, 2014 to agree the principle of the sale prior to the appointment of Commissioners which will ultimately expedite matters in due course.
In any event, it is important to point out that we have identified likely future property sales to the Secretary of State and that we have only been asked to enter in to two undertakings not to sell, neither of which relate to Whitehorse/Commercial Road.
Agenda Item 6.3
Renewal of Temporary Accommodation Lease – Relta Limited
Question: The Committee asked for assurances that the 34 properties supplied by Relta Limited for use as temporary accommodation for homeless are fit to live in.
Summary of response received at Cabinet: The properties are currently all occupied and are not unfit for human habitation. As with any property, repair matters will arise during the term of the tenancy and, as circumstances dictate, these would be brought to the attention of the owner’s managing agents.
Agenda Item 10.1
Single Equality Framework
Question: The Committee noted on Page 55 of the report that four energy auctions had been held with more than 4,000 residents signed up to the Energy Co-operative, saving an average of £150 on their annual energy bill. However, the Committee wanted to know how that figure of £150 had been calculated and to receive some assurance that the figure is real and robust.
Summary of response received at Cabinet: A strand of work for the Energy Co-operative is the Collective Energy Switching Scheme. Cost savings made on household energy bills is provided through this scheme. Tower Hamlets working collaboratively with all the other London Boroughs set up the Big London Energy Switch (BLES). BLES works with a specialist energy switching provider named ichoosr who use specialist software platform linked to the energy market similar to those used by most cost comparison websites.
When a household registers for the Collective Energy Switching scheme they provide information related to the annual energy consumption, the supplying energy company, the name of the tariff, method of payment, type of meter, type of contract and any discounts they are receiving. When this information is entered in to the specialist software it calculates how much the household spend on their energy on an annual basis.
Once the energy auction had taken place and the winning bidder confirmed, the specialist software applies the winning tariff details to the information provided by the resident at the time of registration. It then compares the annual amount the resident pays on their existing energy tariff compared to what they would be paying under the winning energy tariff and an offer is made to the household based on this comparison.
The individual household’s savings are collated to work out the average household savings for the borough.
Agenda Item 10.2
Medium Term Financial Plan
Review of Non-Statutory Independent Reviewing Functions (Ref: ESCW0013/15-16).
Reduce Duplication in Leaving Care Service (Ref: ESCW0057/15-16)
Question:
Given the concerns raised in the Informal Budget Scrutiny meeting with Cllr Choudhury, The Committee asked that the Mayor:
· withdraws the proposal (on page 183 of the report) to de-commission the Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) for child in need and foster placements
· withdraws the proposal (on page 244 of the report) to reduce the level of Personal Advisor support to care leavers
Summary of response received at Cabinet: These questions will be dealt with at the Informal Scrutiny Budget Workshop meeting on 16 December, 2014.