Committees
A meeting of The Highland and Islands Fire Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Friday 27th January 2012, at 9.30 a.m.
Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Clerk
1. Apologies for Absence
2. 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.
3. Membership Updates
The Board is asked formally to note the following changes in Highland Council appointments to the Board:
Substantive Member: Mr Drew Millar (replacing Mr D Flear)
The Board is invited to appoint Mr Millar to the Best Value and Audit Working Group and the Service Improvement Working Group to replace Mr Flear on these Groups.
4. Minutes of Meeting of 24 November 2011
There are submitted for confirmation as a correct record the Minutes of Meeting on 24 November 2011.
5. Revenue Budget 2012/13
There is circulated Report No. Fire-1-12 (51kb pdf) dated 17 January 2012 by the Chief Fire Officer setting out a Draft Revenue Budget for the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (HIFRS) for the financial year 2012/2013.
The Board is asked to:
i. consider and comment on the contents of the report and the assumptions
being adopted in the 2012/13 draft revenue budget;
ii. approve the draft revenue budget for 2012/13; and
iii. note that the Chief Fire Officer will bring to the Special Board meeting on 17
February 2012 his Service Improvement Report.
6. Revenue Reserves Strategy
There is circulated Report No Fire-2-12 (23kb pdf) dated 17 January 2012 by the Chief Fire Officer recommending changes to the Service’s Revenue Reserves Strategy and seeking approval to apply to Ministers to maintain the reserve balance in excess of the 5% cap.
The Board is asked to:
i. Approve the approach to maximise revenue reserves to assist in the funding
of the 2012/13 budget and deliver against the Service Improvement key
objectives for fire fighter safety;
ii. Approve the application to the Minister requesting that Revenue Reserves in
excess of the 5% cap be carried forward into 2012/13; and
iii. Note that if the Service incurs any unexpected costs in 2012/13 that
cannot be covered by the proposed reserve contingency, that these will be
funded through additional requisitions from the Constituent Authorities.
7. Scottish Government Finance Committee Questionnaire
The Board is advised that the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee has issued a questionnaire on the Financial Memorandum accompanying the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill. The deadline for completing this is Thursday 9 February, 2012.
The Board is asked to agree to delegate authority to the Clerk, in consultation with the Treasurer, the Convener and the Vice Convener to prepare and submit a response to the Questionnaire ahead of the deadline. A report will be brought to the Special meeting on 17 February 2012.
8. 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 for the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.
9. Provision of Programme Manager for Service Improvement
There is circulated to Members only, Report No. Fire3/12 dated 25 January 2012 by the Chief Fire Officer, relating to the above item.