Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2020 as a correct record.

RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2020 as a correct record and the minutes would be signed as soon as reasonably practical.

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider an update on the performance of Council companies and note the Overview and Scrutiny Committee observations discussed at the meeting on 22 October 2020.

Councillor T Archer, Executive Member for Investment and Companies, introduced the Companies Performance Update – Autumn 2020 report and confirmed it provided the Commercial Ventures Executive Sub-Committee with an update on the performance of companies owned by the Council.

To support the good governance of the Council’s investments, updates were usually provided on a 6 monthly basis but this had been delayed this year due to Covid-19.  This update was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22 October 2020, and their observations were included in the report. 

The companies were currently considered to be performing in line with the Council’s current objectives and expectations.

It was noted that the Council’s Board Representatives for Horley Business Park Development LLP were not included in the report as the Partners needed to be informed.

It was confirmed that Pathway for Care Limited’s annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 July 2020 were now being audited following a request from the Council and should be available for review imminently.

In response to the O&S observation on debtors from Pathway for Care Limited’s 2019 accounts, it was noted that, since changing ownership in November 2019, Pathway for Care had changed their approach on how clients paid for the services received and had introduced a better invoicing system and it was hoped that the latest Pathway for Care annual report and accounts would provide an update on debtors. 

To enable the Council to have a clearer picture of its commercial income, it was confirmed that work was in progress to produce one commercial income report showing all the income from all of the Council’s entities.

RESOLVED, the report and observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee were noted.

Reason for decision: It will support the good governance of the Council’s companies.

RECOMMENDED that members of the Press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that:

i.                 it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

ii.                the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED that members of the Press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that:

i) it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

ii) the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To consider an update on the performance of Council companies and note the Overview and Scrutiny Committee observations discussed at the meeting on 22 October 2020.

Councillor T Archer, Executive Member for Investment and Companies, introduced the exempt Companies Performance Update – Autumn 2020 report.  The repayment by Pathway for Care Limited of the Council’s £1.1m preference shares in the Company was discussed. 

RESOLVED that the exempt information in relation to the Companies Performance Update – Autumn 2020 Exempt report be noted.

To consider any other urgent business.

None.