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1 / APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCEApologies for absence were received from Councillors C J Crowley, K Pearson,
D R Rees-Evans, T J Richards, K Thomas and G Woodham.
2 / DECLARATIONS BY MEMBERS OF ANY PERSONAL OR PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS
All Members present declared that they had a personal interest in any matters relating to, or likely to affect their own Constituent Authority.
3 / CHAIR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS/PERSONAL MATTERS
The Authority were informed that Councillor C Crowley was recovering from a recent stay in hospital and Members wished him a speedy recovery to good health.
The Chair reported that, following discussions with officers, it was considered appropriate for Members to receive the report on the strategic review of implementation of self rostered crewing at Pontardawe Fire Station prior to noting the project update report for Llanelli Community Fire Station. Following the agreement of Members it was resolved that the order of the agenda be amended as follows;:
- A report on a strategic review of implementation of self rostered crewing at Pontardawe Fire Station be transacted as item 11 of the agenda
- A project update report on Llanelli Fire Station be transacted as item 12 of the agenda
4 / TO CONFIRM AND SIGN AS A TRUE RECORD THE MINUTES OF THE FIRE AUTHORITY MEETING HELD ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2012
The minutes of the Fire Authority meeting held on 17 September 2012 were confirmed and approved as a true record of the proceedings.
Matters Arising from the Fire Authority Meeting held on 17 September 2012
The Clerk / Monitoring Officer referred to item 11 of the minutes which had resolved that the Democratic Services Forum would further consider the issues relating to the Chairing of the Fire Authority, along with amendments to the Appointments Committee’s Terms of Reference and report its recommendations to the Fire Authority meeting on 17 December 2012. The Clerk / Monitoring Officer reminded the Authority that Cllr C Crowley had a particular interest in the matter relating to the Chairing of the Fire Authority and could not be present at the meeting on the 17th December.
In the light of this, it had therefore been decided in consultation with the Chair, to defer the report to the next Fire Authority meeting scheduled for 11 February 2013.
5 / TO RECEIVE, CONSIDER AND NOTE THE MINUTES OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE HELD ON 2 JULY 2012
The minutes of the Standards Committee held on 2 July 2012 were received, considered and noted..
6 / TO RECEIVE, CONSIDER AND NOTE THE MINUTES OF THE PERFORMANCE, AUDIT AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE HELD ON 15 OCTOBER 2012
The minutes of the Performance, Audit and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 October 2012 were received, considered and noted..
Matters Arising from the Performance, Audit and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 October 2012
The Chair of the Performance, Audit and Scrutiny Committee drew Members’ attention to the following items of discussion:
Page 3, Item 5 ‘Corporate Projects Update’ - With regard to the Earlswood refurbishment Members noted that a request for external financial assistance from the Welsh Government had not been forthcoming, therefore the Service were investigating the feasibility of funding the project from the Authority’s capital budget.
Page 4, Item 6 ‘Draft Annual Performance Assessment’ -The Service had achieved a 44% improvement in performance, compared with the previous year, in reducing risk critical skills gaps. Investment in training facilities enabled the Service to deliver the full range of risk critical training and development in the most professional, effective and efficient way using the most up to date technology and techniques.
Page 7, Item 10 ‘Wales Audit Office Annual Improvement Assessment Letter’ – It was confirmed that the Authority had discharged its improvement planning duties under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 and had acted in accordance with Welsh Government guidance.
7 / TO RECEIVE, CONSIDER AND NOTE THE MINUTES OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HELD ON 26 NOVEMBER 2012
The minutes of the Resource Management Committee held on 26 November 2012 were received, considered and noted.
Matters Arising from theResource Management Committee held on 26 November 2012
The Chair of the Resource Management Committee drew Members’ attention to item 10 of the minutes and noted that the Committee had resolved to seek the full Fire Authority’s approval regarding the signing up to the National Procurement Service and, as such, a report would be considered in item 13 of the agenda.
Councillor C Lloyd highlighted item 13 of the minutes which referred to an urgent item of business relating to concerns over the rural response pumps. It was explained that the item of business had not been considered as part of the meeting as a Members’ briefing session had been scheduled on conclusion of the meeting to discuss the Rural Response Pumps in detail. Cllr Lloyd reported that his concerns relating to the viability, suitability and effectiveness of the vehicles remained, together with their proposed deployment in the Swansea Bay area. The Chief Fire Officer emphasised that Members would be provided with accurate answers to any further specific questions submitted. The Authority were informed that following issues pertaining to the quality of some of the welds around the water tank and the internal baffles, the Rural Response Pumps were temporarily taken out of Service as a precautionary measure pending a full investigation. The investigation jointly carried out between the Service and John Dennis Coach Builders (JDC) concluded that two issues relating to the quality of some of the welds around the water tank and the internal baffles had been confirmed. The investigation had highlighted an opportunity to enhance the technical design of the water tank overflow system, which would be undertaken under warranty and incorporated into the Rural Response Pumps currently in construction and fitted retrospectively to those vehicles already in service. The Director of Delivery reported that although the technical issue had been resolved, the vehicles would undergo further testing in conjunction with representative bodies prior to being returned to operational use.
A Member reiterated the concerns raised by Cllr Lloyd regarding the deployment of the Rural Response Pumps for Morriston Fire Station in particular, and the Deputy Chief Fire Officer confirmed that a review was being undertaken into all aspects of service delivery in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea which would consider this matter again.
A Memberexpressed disappointment that the vehicles had not been manufactured in the UK which would have contributed to economic development. The Chief Fire Officer reminded Members that the Service had a requirement to comply with EU procurement rules.
Concerns were raised by Councillor Mills who had been told that the Rural Response Pumps were at their maximum weight and therefore operational members of staff would be required to rely on obtaining water at source should additional water be required at large incidents.
The Director of Delivery clarified that a tolerance of weight had been factored in and as such the Rural Response Pumps were not at their maximum weight. Members were further informed that technological advances in terms of the vehicle’s high pressure pumping equipment had led to enhanced firefighting capability and the capacity would therefore be sufficient to deal with the incidents it was mobilised to.
Additional resources could be requested to an incident, if required, in line with standard operating procedures. Following a query from Members, the Director of Delivery confirmed that the towbar had been removed following a review of the vehicle’s specification to better reflect its intended use.
8 / TO RECEIVE, CONSIDER AND NOTE THE MINUTES OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE HELD ON 3 DECEMBER 2012
The minutes of the Standards Committee held on 3 December 2012 were received, considered and noted.
9 / TO RECEIVE A JOINT REPORT OF THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER AND THE DIRECTOR OF RESOURCES ON THE BUDGET REQUIREMENT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2013/14
The Chief Fire Officer reported that the Authority had continued to make excellent progress against its stated objectives and was maintaining a high performing and cost effective service, providing Council Tax payers with demonstrable value for money.
He stated that significant progress had been made in implementing key actions in 2012/2013 with improvements throughout the year being reported periodically to the Fire Authority and relevant committees. Members were provided with an overview of the areas of progress made surrounding the Authority’s objectives as set out in the 2012/13 Annual Improvement Plan.
The Authoritywas reminded that as part of the Service’s external scrutiny and review processes, the Wales Audit Office (WAO) had produced an Improvement Assessment letter in October 2012, stating that the organisation was likely to comply with the requirement to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement during the current financial year. Furthermore, the WAO had reiterated its findings in the Annual Improvement Report by reaffirming that the Authority had a sound approach to financial management, and that the Authority’s leadership continued to drive change through the effective management of its financial challenges. The Chief Fire Officer emphasised the requirement to continue to explore opportunities for further efficiency savings, over and above those already identified. The Authoritywas advised that part of that work would be achieved via the National Issues Committee which had been introduced to consider the potential for efficiency savings and collaboration across the three Welsh Fire and Rescue Services, as well as with the wider public and voluntary sectors.
Members were reminded that the Authority had recently agreed its Draft Improvement Plan for 2013/14 which was currently undergoing wide consultation, and had been developed in line with the five year Strategic Plan 2010-2015. The 2013/14 Draft Improvement Plan was designed to continue to drive service improvement whilst delivering value for money, focusing on the areas of managing risk, managing people, working together, managing resources and managing performance.
The Chief Fire Officer emphasised the importance of continuing to introduce planned budget reductions in line with the Authority’s medium term financial strategy, ensuring that reductions would have a minimal impact on the Service’s ability to provide an excellent service to the communities of Mid and West Wales.
The Director of Resources / Treasurer reported that the Resource Management Committee, at its meeting on 26 November 2012, recommended that the Fire Authority approve the six recommendations outlined within the report, including the budget level of £43,876,059 which was reflective of current economic conditions. It was confirmed that the level of potential savings for 2013/14 were in line with the Welsh Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review and Memberswere presented with a report detailing the potential areas for budget reductions as well as the general budget requirement 2013/14 for consideration.
Members were informed that the approved budget level would be sent to each Constituent Authority for comment and a final report would be considered at the Fire Authority meeting on 11 February 2013.
Members were aware that the work undertaken by the Authority to reduce costs over recent years had put the organisation in a position of strength with regard to its budget setting exercise for 2013/14. The Director of Resources / Treasurer made reference to the 2010 Service Review Programme which had undertaken a comprehensive review of service delivery in order to identify a range of potential efficiencies in preparation for the Government spending plans for the years 2011/12 – 2014/15.
The extent of savings required meant that the Fire Authority had to consider more efficient methods of service delivery. In particular, given that 95% of the Authority’s budget was linked to staffing, a review of crewing arrangements had been required to ensure the most effective use of resources. All staff were consulted and had many opportunities to contribute their ideas and views. A more efficient use of resources at Llanelli Fire Station, as approved by the Authority in its Annual Action Plan 2012/13, would provide the bulk of the savings required in 2013/14, although a combination of reviewing station activities and a reduction in supplies and services would also make a significant contribution, as outlined in Appendix C of the report, the total of which amounted to a net saving of £536k.
Following a query from Members the Chief Fire Officer clarified that reducing the number of staff at Llanelli from 28 to 14 resulted in better use of resources as service delivery would not be affected. Furthermore, the Chief Fire Officer stated that the increase in proactive Community Safety activities would enhance the Service’s prevention strategy.
Further queries were raised from Members with regard to the level of funding from reserves allocated to large environmental incidents, given the likelihood that such incidents would increase in future. The Director of Resources / Treasurer informed Members that whilst the Service had no statutory duty to respond to flooding incidents, there existed a significant moral responsibility to offer assistance. The Chief Fire Officer reported that following a significant increase in the number of flooding incidents in recent years, the Welsh Government had agreed to the provision of equipment to assist the Service. However, this funding was capital financing for equipment only, therefore training and ongoing operational costs would continue to fall on the Authority’s revenue budget.
The budget being put forward for consideration attempted to balance the operational requirements and priorities of the Authority with the need to play a part in the context of the economic environment and the Constituent Authorities’ settlements.
Members were informed that the average Constituent Authority increase in Aggregate External Finance for 2013/14 was 1.17%. The Chief Fire Officer and Treasurer / Director of Resources had in previous years met with a mix of Constituent Authority Chief Executives and Treasurers in order to establish views and understand organisational pressures. These meetings had in general expressed a desire that the Fire Authority’s budget increase reflected the Constituent Authorities’ settlements.
Members were further reminded that in 2011/12 the Fire Authority reduced the contributions of the Constituent Authorities by £1million as a one-off gesture, as budget savings were made slightly earlier than anticipated. Many of the Constituent Authorities had indicated their intention to utilise the monies to reduce their Fire Authority budget contributions over the next few years.
In agreement with the Constituent Authority Treasurers, the cash call on the revenue account of Constituent Authorities in 2012/13 was significantly reduced by a contribution (£380k) from the Authority’s Reserves. This was a reduction on the call on the reserve in the previous year and Members were informed that the Authority intended to gradually reduce the call on this reserve over the next few years. Accordingly it was proposed that the 2013/14 budget be supported by £280k from reserves, a reduction of £100k. The effect of reducing the reliance on reserves was to add 0.2% to the Authority’s real like for like budget increase.
The Director of Resources / Treasurer reported that there continued to be concerns regarding backdated costs as a result of the court case that gave equal status to on call employees in terms of pension arrangements and £500,000 of reserves had been set aside as a precaution.
Members were informed that the Authority had not budgeted for the £300,000 pay awards in 2012 (1% for firefighters pay award, nil for all other staff) and this was an additional pressure.
It was reported that the establishment of a longer term vehicle replacement programme would be developed according to the result of the Transport review and subsequent Transport Strategy. Figures had been included for 2013/14 on current information, with an estimate included for 2014/15 and 2015/16 based on the costs of vehicles being replaced. A more detailed Transport replacement programme would be put forward for Members’ information at a later date.
The Director of Resources / Treasurer concluded that £536,000 of efficiencies resulted in a budget figure recommended for approval of £43,876,059, representing an increase of 0.93% on a like for like basis.
It was recommended that £280k of the approved budget be funded from reserves, therefore the amount falling on the Constituent Authorities would amount to £43,596,059. The effect on the Constituent Authorities’ revenue budget would therefore be an increase of 1.17% on a cash basis.
Following queries raised by Members, the Chief Fire Officer clarified that the Authority, at its meeting in October 2011, agreed the Annual Action Plan 2012/13, which outlined strategic policy proposals to provide a service to the community of Llanelli that met its needs by developing a crewing system that reflected the profile of the local community, maintained 24 hour cover provided by full time staff, maintained response times and provided a more efficient use of resources. Members were further reminded that they had resolved that Carmarthenshire County Council representatives would be present to observe ongoing discussions between management and union representatives. The Chief Fire Officer emphasised that, in line with the Constitution, it was his role as Head of Paid Service to determine staffing requirements and implement the strategic policy proposals within the Annual Action Plan approved by the Fire Authority.
The Deputy Chair of the Fire Authority stated that should Members propose to generate the required savings from another source then radical alternative ideas would be required to clearly identify such savings.
In response to a question from Members the Treasurer stated that there was a legal requirement to indicate to the Constituent Authorities a budget level before the end of December. Members were reminded that, in arriving at the net budget level of £43,596,059 falling on the Constituent Authorities, the efficiency savings emanating from the alternative crewing arrangements at Llanelli had been accounted for as these changes had been approved by the Authority in October 2011 and Officers were therefore in the implementation phase of the project.