Committees
A meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 12 March 2009 at 10.30 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
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. Successes
Recent successes in the Education, Culture and Sport Service will be tabled at the meeting.
Additioanl Urgent Item
3a. Revenue Budget Monitoring 2008/09 - Updated Statement
As a result of developments in relation to the savings target for the 2008/09 Revenue Budget, there is circulated Report No ECS-7a-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing an update on the projected year-end position and, on the basis of the updated financial position, seeks approval to submit a supplementary estimate of £2.154m to the the Resouces Committee.
3. Revenue Budget 2008/09 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-7-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Revenue Budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 January 2009.
The Committee is asked to note the budget pressures outlined in the report and to agree:-
i. the corrective actions identified; and
ii. the award of a one-off grant of £10,000 to Highland Disability Sports to
support participation at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in
Leicester.
4. Capital Expenditure 2008/09 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-8-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing detail of the actual net expenditure position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 January 2009 and the projected year–end estimates based upon the current approved Education, Culture and Sport Capital Programme. The report also provides information with respect to the approved projects at Lochaber High School, Nairn Academy and Grantown Grammar School, a procurement framework agreement for Science Laboratory/Home Economics upgrades and seeks approval for the introduction of the Fort William Tailrace Project into the Education, Culture and Sport Capital Programme.
The Committee is invited to note the report and agree:-
i. the developments at Grantown Grammar and Nairn Academy and the
budget allocation as set out;
ii. the refurbishment of the remaining Science Laboratories at Wick High
School;
iii. the introduction of the Fort William Tailrace Project; and
iv. the granting of a one off capital contribution of £250,000 to the
Engineering Skills Centre for Highlands and Islands subject to a detailed
agreement on levels of availability to Highland Council school students
being agreed between the Education, Culture and Sport Service and
management of North Highland College.
5. Healthy Living Centres
On 23 February 2009, Shona Robison, the Public Health Minister, announced an extension to the transition fund set up in 2008 to help keep Healthy Living Centres (HLCs) running whilst finalising their long term sustainability plans.
It is now reported that up to £70,000 will be provided towards core cost only, per Healthy Living Centre, for 2009/10. The key conditions of the funding stress that it should only be applied for in cases where there is a likelihood of long term sustainability of projects. Where there is little or no prospect of sustainability, funding should not be allocated. The funding has been allocated for NHS Boards to apply for and NHS Chief Executives are required to sign that they are confident the funding criteria is met for any application made. Officials have contacted NHS Highland to discuss funding criteria and to come to a joint decision of whether the area is able to apply on behalf of either the Janny’s Hoose, Inverness or Healthways, covering Ross and Cromarty.
The Committee is invited to note the position.
6. Village Halls
There is circulated Report No ECS-9-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport updating Members on progress on the equalisation of funding arrangements for village halls.
The Committee is invited to note the progress to date on the equalisation of funding arrangements for village halls.
7. Charging for Council Community Facilities and Community
Managed Facilities in Schools and Leisure and Community Centres
There is circulated Report No ECS-10-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport seeking to harmonise scales of charges for public use of the Council’s community facilities and also facilities in schools, leisure and community centres managed by communities.
The Committee is invited to agree:-
i. the target prices as detailed in the report;
ii. that where the difference between the current and proposed prices are
greater than 5%, increases are staged over two or more years;
iii. to equalise charges to community facilities and community use of school
facilities by introducing the same charges in both school and community
venues for youth groups and others providing activities for young people;
iv. that school facilities with prices set by the Community Management
Committees and grant-aided facilities be required to cap prices at a
maximum of the target price level or at the current level if greater;
v. the booking policy and prices for Badaguish Lodges as detailed in the
report; and
vi. that, in future years, the Director of Education, Culture and Sport maintain
delegated authority to vary prices by twice the annual inflation level and
target prices are consequently adjusted.
8. Inverness Leisure Business Plan 2009/10-2011/12
There is circulated Report No ECS-11-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport setting out the business plan and management fee for Inverness Leisure and proposing that part of next year’s management fee be provided in advance for cash-flow reasons related to the fire insurance claim.
The Committee is invited to agree:-
i. to endorse the principle of the revised Inverness Leisure Business Plan for
2009/10-2011/12 as detailed in the report;
ii. to homologate the decision for the early release of £185,000 of the
management fee for 2009/10 to allow Inverness Leisure to continue to
operate until the fire insurance payments are made;
iii. that the management fee be set at £1m for financial year 2009/10; and
iv. that, in future years, account be taken of the impact of inflation.
9. School Meals Uptake
There is circulated Report No ECS-12-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport summarising the reasons affecting the overall drop in school meal uptake in the current financial year specifically in the Secondary school sector and what actions are proposed. An update on the progress to form a short term working group looking at mobile vendors in the vicinity of school campuses is also provided.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note the reasons affecting the drop in uptake in school meals and
background information supporting the findings;
ii. note the actions as detailed in the report;
iii. agree to the proposals set out in regard to local mobile food and drink
retailers; and
iv. note that a future report being presented to the Education, Culture and
Sport Committee in Autumn 2009.
10. Events and Festivals Strategy for the Highlands – 2009 to 2012
There is circulated Report No ECS-13-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport presenting a proposed Events and Festivals Strategy for the Highlands of Scotland for the period 2009 to 2012.
The Committee is invited to agree the proposed Events and Festivals Strategy for the Highlands of Scotland for the period 2009 to 2012.
11. Highland Institute of Sport – Representation
The Highland Institute for Sport, one of six area institutes within Scotland, provides a variety of support services for 28 performance athletes for 8 sports. It has facilities throughout the region with many local partners providing support. They have asked that the Council appoint one representative to the Highland Institute of Sport Board.
The Administration will move that Mr A M Millar be appointed to the Highland Institute of Sport Board.
12. Minutes of Meetings
There are circulated the following Minutes of Meetings:-
i. Education Transport Appeals Committee held on 13 January 2009 (for
noting); and
ii. Local Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff held on 10 February 2009
(for approval).