The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report  on behalf of the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) asking Council tonote the decisions taken by the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) using the urgency and emergency powers delegated in Parts 9.3(b) and (c) of the Constitution.

Please note an appendix may follow as a supplement, if required (paragraph 4 of the report refers).

Recommendation: Council is recommended to note the decisions taken as set out in the report.

Council considered the report of the Head of Law and Governance setting out the decisions taken by the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) using the urgency and emergency powers delegated in Parts 9.3(b) and (c) of the Constitution.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Brown, presented the report and she and other Cabinet members answered questions:

·       Expenditure on ICT covered the costs of introducing remote working for the majority of staff to allow the council to continue to deliver services (hardware, software, licences, remote meetings, and peripheral devices). This was separate from the previously planned replacement programme. There were no immediate plans to return to office based working or to recoup any investment.

·       Topping up furlough payments to all furloughed staff accorded with good employment practices and the council’s commitment to paying the Oxford Living Wage.  

·       Decisions were taken with Cabinet’s input and knowledge and after informing opposition group leaders.

The recommendation, moved and seconded, was put to the vote.

Council resolved to note the decisions taken as set out in the report.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report  on behalf of the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) asking Cabinet tonote the decisions taken by the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) using the urgency and emergency powers delegated in Parts 9.3(b) and (c) of the Constitution.

Recommendation: Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Note the decisions taken as set out in the report.

Please note, an appendix may follow as a supplement, if required (paragraph 4 of the report refers).

Councillor Linda Smith joined the meeting during this item.

The Head of Law and Governance had submitted a report  on behalf of the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) asking Cabinet to note the decisions taken by the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) using the urgency and emergency powers delegated in Parts 9.3(b) and (c) of the Constitution.

Anita Bradley, Head of Law & Governance introduced the report  which listed three decisions taken by the Chief Executive exercising urgency and emergency powers as  a consequence of Covid-19.

In response to a question about recouping the costs of addressing the needs of the homeless, the Chief Executive  first noted that additional costs would soon  be incurred as the Council sought to extend the  arrangements initially put in place, in line with revised Government policy. While the Government had provided some funding to Councils to assist with the additional costs associated with Covid-19, none of it had been earmarked specifically for this or indeed any other purpose. Strictly speaking it would not be until later in the year that it would be possible to judge whether the Council’s estimate of additional costs exceeded the money which had been provided by Government.

In relation to  expenditure on ICT, the Chief Executive confirmed that this was in addition to the programme of improvement which had  already been in place and was  to ensure that the Council was in a position to work effectively in the new environment necessitated by Covid-19.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Council, noted appreciation for the work of the ICT team in having enabled to Council Members and officers to work remotely in such a short time. In relation to the decision about the Discretionary Grant Scheme, she noted that this was an important mechanism which enabled the Council to support local businesses and help them survive and hopefully thrive in a challenging environment. The need for criteria for distribution had given the Council the opportunity to include ones to reflect its values, such as the social value of businesses.

There was appreciation of the speed with which the grants had been allocated and distributed. In relation to housing benefit and universal credit there was praise for the efficiency of those teams in dealing with an increase in the number of applications.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Note the decisions taken as set out in the report.