Agenda and minutes

Leader (Urgency Powers), Cabinet - Monday, 28 June 2021

Venue: Meeting Room 2 - Level 3, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4TR

Contact: Jon Pitt, Democratic Services Officer/Teri Reynolds, Democratic Services Officer

Items

No.

Item

COVID-19 Local Support Grant Scheme PDF 164 KB

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided details of proposals to use the COVID Local Support Grant extension (CLSG) allocation for Medway Council to support families with children, other vulnerable households and individuals from 21 June 2021 to 30 September 2021. The report explained that this Programme was funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and is ring-fenced and covers the period to the end of September 2021.

The report noted that the urgency provisions were set out in the Constitution (paragraph 3.2 of Part 3 (Responsibility for Cabinet functions) of Chapter 3 (Responsibility for Functions) of the Constitution).

The Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that the taking of these decisions was urgent and could not be reasonably deferred until the next Cabinet meeting on 13 July 2021, in accordance with Section 11 (Cases of special urgency) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 and Rule 17 (Special Urgency) of the Access to Information Rules (Part 2 of Chapter 4 in the Constitution).

Additionally, and in line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in could be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the Public’s interests. The Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-in.

Decision:

*Decision number:*	*Decision:*
73/2021	The Leader, using urgency powers, agreed the proposals set out in section 3 of this report as the Council’s approach to delivering the COVID Local Support Grant and to delegate authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Services, to finalise and implement these proposals.
74/2021	The Leader, using urgency powers, agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Services, to make minor amendments to the proposals to enable them to continue to support vulnerable households in Medway, including establishing any discretionary eligibility criteria where discussions remain ongoing and where further Government advice is provided.
75/2021	The Leader agreed, using urgency powers, to delegate authority to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Services, to finalise and implement any suitable proposals for the remaining sum of the Covid Local Support Grant, as outlined in paragraph 5.1 of the report.
76/2021	The Leader agreed that decisions 73/2021, 74/2021 and 75/2021 are considered urgent and therefore should not be subject to call in.

Reasons:

Given the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of cost to the local taxpayer it is appropriate for the Council to introduce these measures.