Committees

A meeting of The Highland and Islands Fire Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney on Thursday 11 September 2008 at 2.30 p.m.

 

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

M Morris
Clerk

 

Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.   

 

Business

 

1. Apologies for Absence

 

2. Board Membership Update

 

The Board is asked to note formally the following changes in Highland Council appointments to the Board:

 

Substantive Members:

  • Ms Maxine Smith (replacing Mr David Bremner)
  • Dr Audrey Sinclair (replacing Mr Bill Fernie)
  • Mr G Rimell (replacing Mr Alex Graham)

Substitute Members:

  • Mr Alex Graham (replacing Mr R Rowantree)
  • Mrs G Sinclair (replacing Mr H Wood)
  • Mr M Finlayson (replacing Mr J Crawford)
  • Mr B Barclay (replacing Dr A Sinclair)

Following these changes, there are now vacancies on the following Working Groups:

  • Integrated Risk Management Plan Working Group (1 place)
  • Audit Working Group (1 place)
  • Policy and Finance Working Group (1 place)
  • Joint Consultative Group (1 place)

The Board is invited to appoint Members to fill the vacant posts.

 

3. Minutes of Meeting of 22 April 2008

 

There are circulated for confirmation as a correct record the Minutes of Meeting of 22 April 2008.

 

4. Minutes of Policy and Finance Working Group – 22 August 2008

 

There are circulated Minutes of Meeting of the Policy and Finance Working Group held on 22 August 2008.  Appended to the Minutes for information is a copy of the Note of the visit carried out by the Estate Condition Working Group to Strathclyde on 11 and 12 August 2008, which was approved by the Policy and Finance Working Group.

 

The Board is asked to approve the Minutes and to agree:

 

i.    (item 1 refers – Note of visit to Strathclyde) - that the Fire and Rescue
      Service (FRS) Head of Corporate Services and The Highland Council
      Project Manager meet with Highland Council’s Education, Culture and
      Sport Service to progress the partnership venture at Lochaline, with a
      report being provided to a future meeting; and


ii.   (item 4 refers – Principal Officers’ Pay) – that this matter be considered 
      by the Board at its meeting on 14 November 2008, additional information
      having been sought and considered by the Working Group in the
      meantime.

 

5. Proposals for Closer Working between COSLA and the Fire Board

 

There are circulated (i) copy of letter dated 26 August 2008 from Councillor Pat Watters, President of COSLA, regarding recent discussions concerning the greater integration of lobbying and policy development issues relating to the Police and Fire Services , (ii) copy of report considered by the Convention at its meeting on 27 June 2008 outlining proposals for Integration of the Police and Fire Services into COSLA’s Mainstream Activity, (iii) copy of report dated 15 July 2008 by the Scottish Government Scottish Resilience Fire and Rescue Services Unit entitled “Fire Capital Grant – Review of Funding Arrangements” which was considered at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) Sub-Group meeting on “Strategy for Investment in Learning and Development” on 21 August 2008, and (iv) draft response to the letter from Councillor Watters.  A draft response to the Scottish Government Resilience Fire and Rescue Services Ltd will follow.

 

Members are asked to consider the correspondence received and to agree responses thereto.

 

6. Minutes of Audit Working Group – 29 August 2008

 

There are circulated for approval Minutes of meeting of theAudit Working Group held on 29 August 2008.

 

7. Revenue Expenditure 2008/09 – Monitoring Statement

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire20-08 dated 26 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer setting out the current position of the Revenue Monitoring Statement for the period to 31 July 2008, and the predicted year-end outturn.

 

8. Capital Out-turn Report 2007/08

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire21-08 dated 26 August 2008 by the Treasurer summarising the final capital position relating to the Highland and Islands Fire Board capital programme recorded in the ledger as at 31 March 2008.

 

9. Capital Expenditure Monitoring Report 2008/09

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire22-08 dated 26 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer summarising the expenditure and income relating to the Board’s capital programme for the period to 31 July 2008.

 

10. Scottish Government Consultation on The Resilience of Fire
      Controls Homologation

 

There is circulated Report No. Fire23-08 dated 25 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer updating the Board on the recent Fire Controls consultation initiated by the Scottish Government, and providing a briefing on the response provided on behalf of the Board and Service prior to the deadline for comments of 1 August 2008.  The response to the consultation is provided in the Appendix to the report.

 

The Board is asked to homologate the terms of the Board’s response to the Scottish Government consultation on The Resilience of Fire Controls sent by the Chief Fire Officer on behalf of the Board following consultation with the Convener.

 

11. Employee Wellbeing Programme

 

There is circulated Report No. Fire24-08 dated 25 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer detailing the range of services provided as part of the Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP).  The Head of Human Resources will give a presentation on the Programme.

 

The Board is asked to note the adoption of the EWP provision.

 

12. Disciplinary Procedure

 

At its meeting held on 22 April 2008, the Board agreed to defer to this meeting consideration of draft new Disciplinary Procedure, to allow additional time for agreement to be sought with the Fire Brigades Union as to who should be the final arbiter in cases of appeal, and also to gather information on procedures adopted elsewhere.

 

There is circulated Report No. Fire25-08 dated 25 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer providing a Disciplinary Procedure based on Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) guidelines, which has been updated as a result of further consultation with the Fire Brigades Union.

 

The Board is asked to approve and adopt the amended Highlands and Islands Disciplinary Procedure as agreed by the representative bodies.

 

13. Single Status Agreement - Job Evaluation

 

There is circulated Report No. Fire26-08 dated 25 August 2008 by the Chief Fire Officer advising on progress made following approval at the Board meeting on 22 April 2008 of a process with regard to the Single Status Job Evaluation Scheme.  The current implementation plan for the Scheme is circulated as the Appendix to the report.

 

The report indicates that it is likely that there will be a delay in the implementation of the plan, sets out the reasons for this, and advises that a reviewed timetable and progress report will be presented to a future Board meeting.

 

The Board is asked to note progress to date and the likely delay in the implementation of Single Status.

 

14. Gender Equality Scheme

 

As agreed at the Board’s meeting held on 22 April 2008, the Clerk, in consultation with the Convener, Vice Convener and the Board’s Equality and Diversity Champions, Mr J Ford and Mrs H Carmichael, prepared and published the Board’s annual report on its Gender Equality Scheme (GES) by the deadline date of 30 June 2008.  The Action Plan attached to that Report indicated that the Board, as part of its review/scrutiny function, would receive a copy of the Chief Fire Officer’s GES annual report for information.

 

In this context, there is circulated for noting copy of the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service’s Gender Equality Scheme Annual Report 2007/08, as published on the Service’s website.

 

15. Scheme of Delegation

 

The Board has an obligation to review its Scheme of Delegation on an annual basis.

 

There is circulated for approval updated Scheme of Delegation, with revised wording shown in italics, reflecting recent Board decisions (revised JCG remit; appointment of Monitoring Officer) or changes in job title at The Highland Council, or providing additional clarity in relation to the Clerk’s remit.

 

16. Capital Programme Monitoring Report

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire27-08 dated 11 April 2008 by the Director of Housing and Property of the Highland Council summarising the status of all current key projects carried out for the Board. 

 

17. Site Acquisitions Progress Report

 

There is circulated for noting Report No. Fire28-08 dated 11 April 2008 by the Director of Housing and Property of the Highland Council summarising the status of the acquisition of sites for future development.

 

18. Operational Update

 

The Chief Fire Officer will provide a verbal update on recent operational activities.

 

19. Exclusion of the Public

 

The Board is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of this item on the grounds that it will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act, the relevant paragraphs being shown.

 

20. Land for Servitude Right of Access at New Fire Station, Dunvegan

 

Paragraphs 6, 8 and 9

 

There are circulated to Members only copy reports from the District Valuer on terms agreed for Servitude Rights of Access required for the water supply to the new Fire Station, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye.

 

The Board is asked to approve the terms as set out in the District Valuer’s reports.