An apology for absence was received from Councillor Gwilym Butler.

None were declared.

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 4 March 2020

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 4^th March 2020 be approved as a correct record to  be signed by the Leader.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 4^th March 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

To receive any questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14.  Deadline for notification is not later than 11.00 am on Monday 27 April 2020

A public question relating to active travel by foot and cycle was received from Mark Fermor, Chair of Shropshire Cycle Hub.

A public question relating to the temporary pedestrianisation of Town Centres following COVID-19 was received from Rob Wilson.

A public question relating to the Shropshire County Pension Fund was received from Joanna Blackman. 

A public question relating to the Climate Emergency was received from Jackie Jones. 

A public question relating to the temporary pedestrianisation of Town Centres following COVID-19 was received from Mike Streetly. 

A public question relating to support given to care and residential homes was received from Slawomir Fejfer. 

A public question relating to Climate Change was received from Adam Shipp. 

The full questions and responses provided are attached to the signed minutes and are available on the webpage for the meeting

To receive any questions of which Members have given due notice, the deadline for notification for this meeting is 5.00 pm on Friday 24 April 2020

Member questions and in some cases supplementary questions were received as follows:

relating to support for the retail economy following the lockdown period, from Councillor Andy Boddington;

relating to support for Care Homes and the North West Relief Road, from Councillor David Vasmer;

relating to the Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) and the continuation of Scrutiny Committees, from Councillor Julian Dean;

relating to financial support to businesses and schools were received from Councillor Roger Evans.;

relating to Covid-19 deaths in Shropshire, from Councillor Ruth Houghton;

relating to the Highways Improvement Plan, received from Councillor Chris Mellings;

A Member question relating to reported Covid-19 cases in Shropshire Care Homes was received from Councillor Heather Kidd;

The questions submitted and the responses provided are attached to the signed minutes and the webpage for the meeting 

There were no scrutiny items.

Lead Member – Councillor Peter Nutting – Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED:

That subject to the Executives of Worcestershire County Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council agreeing to the same recommendations, Cabinet agreed to: 

A.        Remove the responsibility for the discharge of its function in relation to the pension deficit liability in relation to former WMS employees (including Compensatory Added Years Benefits) as identified in this report from the business of the WME Joint Committee with effect from 1 April 2020;

B.        Allocate the pension deficit liability identified in Recommendation A above to a new employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund, called ‘WMS Pension’;

C.        Establish a joint committee pursuant to section 101(5) of the Local Government Act 1972, with Worcestershire County Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council known as the WMS Pension Joint Committee and delegate responsibility with effect from 1 April 2020 to the WMS Pension Joint Committee to discharge the functions of Shropshire Council relating to the pension deficit liability from former WMS employees (including Compensatory Added Years Benefits) as set out in Section 5 below allocate to the WMS Pension employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund;

D.        Approve the proposed governance arrangements set out in Appendix 1, and confirm that the Council’s appointed Executive Members to the WMS Pension Joint Committee shall be the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Strategic Planning, the Council’s current representatives on the West Mercia Energy Joint Committee;

E.        Delegate authority to the Director of Finance, Governance & Assurance (Section 151) to progress and agree the arrangements as set out in Section 5, including a relevant payment mechanism and finalise a Joint Agreement for the WMS Pension Joint Committee incorporating the terms set out in Appendix 1, in consultation with Section 151 Officers from the remaining Owning Authorities.

F.        Approve the treatment of the WME asset share to be fully funded with effect from 1 April 2020 using IAS19/FRS102 actuarial assumptions with the resulting additional cost of this funding option allocated to the WMS Pension employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund. 

G.      Delegate authority to the Director of Finance, Governance & Assurance (Section 151) to agree the final figures, of which estimates are set out in Section 6, and in consultation with the Section 151 Officers from the remaining Owning Authorities.

The Leader introduced the report and stated that Shropshire Council, together with Worcestershire County Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, was one of the member authorities of West Mercia Energy Joint Committee, formerly known as West Mercia Supplies (WMS). He explained that the paper proposed to transfer the pension deficit relating to the former West Mercia Supplies staff directly to a new body, the deficit had been retained within the continuing West Mercia Energy business when the WMS stationery division was sold in 2012. It was added that an equivalent version of this paper had been approved by the Executives at Worcestershire County Council and Telford & Wrekin Council and was due to be approved by Herefordshire Council on 30 April 2020.

RESOLVED:

That subject to the Executives of Worcestershire County Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council agreeing to the same recommendations, Cabinet agreed to: 

A.        Remove the responsibility for the discharge of its function in relation to the pension deficit liability in relation to former WMS employees (including Compensatory Added Years Benefits) as identified in this report from the business of the WME Joint Committee with effect from 1 April 2020;

B.        Allocate the pension deficit liability identified in Recommendation A above to a new employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund, called ‘WMS Pension’;

C.        Establish a joint committee pursuant to section 101(5) of the Local Government Act 1972, with Worcestershire County Council, Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council known as the WMS Pension Joint Committee and delegate responsibility with effect from 1 April 2020 to the WMS Pension Joint Committee to discharge the functions of Shropshire Council relating to the pension deficit liability from former WMS employees (including Compensatory Added Years Benefits) as set out in Section 5 below allocate to the WMS Pension employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund;

D.        Approve the proposed governance arrangements set out in Appendix 1, and confirm that the Council’s appointed Executive Members to the WMS Pension Joint Committee shall be the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Strategic Planning, the Council’s current representatives on the West Mercia Energy Joint Committee;

E.        Delegate authority to the Director of Finance, Governance & Assurance (Section 151) to progress and agree the arrangements as set out in Section 5, including a relevant payment mechanism and finalise a Joint Agreement for the WMS Pension Joint Committee incorporating the terms set out in Appendix 1, in consultation with Section 151 Officers from the remaining Owning Authorities.

F.        Approve the treatment of the WME asset share to be fully funded with effect from 1 April 2020 using IAS19/FRS102 actuarial assumptions with the resulting additional cost of this funding option allocated to the WMS Pension employer within the Shropshire County Pension Fund. 

G.      Delegate authority to the Director of Finance, Governance & Assurance (Section 151) to agree the final figures, of which estimates are set out in Section 6, and in consultation with the Section 151 Officers from the remaining Owning Authorities.

Lead Member – Councillor Ed Potter – Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services

Report of the Director of Children’s Services attached

Contact:  Karen Bradshaw 01743 254201

 RESOLVED:

1.         That the partnership arrangements and the respective Boards for Community Safety, Children and Adult Safeguarding be amalgamated.

2.         That Shropshire Council be approved as the accountable body on behalf of the newly formed Partnership.

The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services presented the report which proposed to amalgamate partnership arrangements and the respective Boards for Community Safety, Children and Adult Safeguarding.

In response to questions, the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services stated that the proposal would bring the three bodies together removing the current overlap and therefore reducing the number of meetings. He added that there was no additional financial impact envisaged and once up and running the Board would welcome Scrutiny attention on how safeguarding was being managed during the current situation.

 RESOLVED:

1.         That the partnership arrangements and the respective Boards for Community Safety, Children and Adult Safeguarding be amalgamated.

2.         That Shropshire Council be approved as the accountable body on behalf of the newly formed Partnership.