Hampshire County Council Cabinet Meeting

All Members were present, and no apologies were noted.

Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter considered at the meeting they must declare that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in Part 3, Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members' Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore, Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Personal interest in a matter being considered at the meeting they considered whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, considered whether it was appropriate to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

The minutes of the last meeting were reviewed and agreed.

The Chairman shared the following announcements:

On behalf of Cabinet, he expressed a warm welcome to Stuart Ashley in his new role of Director of Children’s Services.

He reported that additional funding of £6m from the Government’s national Potholes fund had been received, which would ensure repair of road defects and keep the network in good condition.  He expressed thanks to the Highways teams, and it was heard that the funding had enabled resources to be allocated and more repairs had been completed over the previous few weeks than reports of defects received.

He explained that he had received a response from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to his letter following a Motion carried by the County Council in February regarding changes to state pension age for women born after 1950.  The Minister thanked the Council and explained that the investigation was ongoing.

No requests to make a deputation had been received.

Cabinet considered the regular report of the Director of Hampshire 2050 regarding long-term economic strength for Hampshire.  It was noted that the current economic outlook was uncertain and presented significant challenges in the short to medium term, particularly in regard to inflation and the labour market.  The Director highlighted the recent Government announcement that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) would no longer be supported by Government from April 2024 and would fall to democratic institutions and local government.  Work with neighbouring authorities and local district and borough councils on proposed ways of working had begun and Cabinet heard that timelines for the proposed County Deal may not align and interim governance arrangements for LEP responsibilities may be required.

The recommendations in the report were considered and agreed. A decision record is attached to these minutes.

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services on the outcomes of the recent Ofsted focused visit regarding children in care.  The outcome letter was very positive overall and, although a snapshot, provided external validation which aligned with the Council’s own view of the service.

Cabinet welcomed the report and thanked officers for the outstanding service provided to children in care.  It was also noted that schools had a duty to identify disadvantaged children and put in place strategies for provision of appropriate support, funded by the pupil premium, to help achieve their full potential.

The recommendations in the report were considered and agreed. A decision record is attached to these minutes.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health regarding the 2022-23 annual report focusing on a healthy and active older people.  Cabinet welcomed the report and commented on opportunities across the organisation for promoting ageing well, including volunteering activity.

The recommendations in the report were considered and agreed. A decision record is attached to these minutes.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of People and Organisation regarding reorganisation of the County Council’s Select Committees and Advisory Panels.  Cabinet heard that a single Select Committee for Universal Services with the addition of some of the responsibilities of the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel (BLAPP) would enable more coherent and powerful scrutiny of its areas of responsibility.  Responding to a question, the Assistant Director, Legal Services and Monitoring Officer confirmed that consequential financial savings were expected of circa £20K.

It was proposed and seconded that it be recommended to Council that the new Universal Services Select Committee would comprise 17 members, rather than 16 as set out in the report.  It was also proposed and seconded that all of the County Council’s Select Committees should be increased to 17 Members. The proposals were supported by Cabinet.

The recommendations in the report were considered and agreed, subject to the amendment set out above. A decision record is attached to these minutes.