Agenda item

To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

 (As the Chair of the Committee had declared a prejudicial interest in this item the Vice-Chair was in the Chair for this item.  Councillor Ken Taylor was elected as Vice-Chair for this item only).

The report of the Chief Executive was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The Vice-Chair in the Chair said that the Chief Fire Officer for the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service gave a presentation to a Members Briefing Session in July.  He noted that proposals and options were highlighted by the Chief Fire Officer as regards to the consultation document in respect of an Emergency Cover Review.  It was reported that additional comments have been received by the Chief Fire Officer following the publication of the Agenda for this meeting and the Committee will have an opportunity to respond to these comments. 

The Leader of the Council said that the consultation refers to the Emergency Cover Review of the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service with 3 Options put forward for discussion and consultation together with costs implications.  A draft response on behalf of the County Council has been attached to the report.  She noted that it was important that the Scrutiny Committee be given the opportunity to make comments on the draft response.  She further said that the majority of the funding for the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service is received by way of levy from the six unitary Authorities within the area.  The Council pays into this combined fund and the contribution is based on population.  Any change in the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service budget would consequently impact on the levy contributions and would result in added pressure on the Council’s budget. 

The Executive Manager (Leadership Team) said that the consultation period to respond to the Emergency Cover Review by the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority will come to an end at the end of this month.  She noted that the intention of the draft response to the consultation is to summaries the main concerns the Council wishes to highlight.  

The Chief Executive said that Option 3 within the consultation document will have an affect on the Island but the other two options would not have an effect on the service provided by the Fire & Rescue Authority but would result in financial impact on the local authorities. 

In considering the report, the Committee discussed the following main matters:-

·         Questions were raised as to whether the Fire & Rescue Service has considered  reviewing its central administration costs in order to save front-line services.  The Chief Executive responded that similar questions were asked last year whilst setting the levy as regards the administration cost to save front-line services.  He noted that as is similar within this Authority central administrative costs have been reduced over the years.  He further said that following the publication of the Agenda for this Committee the Fire & Rescue Authority has seen the draft consultation response and have provided details that they have reduced their costs of up to 10% over the last 10 years.  It is also shown that the central costs of the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service has the lowest central costs than any other Fire Authority in Wales.  However, the Chief Executive considered that the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority needs to revisit its central administrative costs in view of the financial pressures.  The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that similar questions have been raised during meetings of the Section 151 Officers of the six local authorities in North Wales with the Fire & Rescue Service Financial Officers as regards to central costs.  He noted that there needs to be further discussions with the Fire & Rescue Service to ascertain whether there is fair comparison with the other two Fire & Rescue Services in Wales as regards to central costs. 

·         Questions were raised as to whether the Council’s response to the consultation adequately reflects the views of the Council.  The Chief Executive responded that the draft response to the Fire & Rescue Authority consultation documents is an Officer’s response which has been shared informally with the Executive Members.  They confirmed that the draft response is appropriate to be considered by the Scrutiny process to re-enforce and strengthen the initial draft response. 

·         Questions were raised as to what gaps there are in the draft response to the consultation. The Chief Executive responded that the Council will need to review and update the response to the consultation following receipt of the additional information received from the Chief Fire Officer and following discussions at this meeting and thereafter, the Executive Committee at its meeting to be held on the 26 September.  He referred that it is an option for the Fire and Rescue Authority to set up a Task and Finish Group to review its core costs with the Section 151 Officers in attendance.   

·         Questions were raised as to why the Council Tax Levy towards the Fire & Rescue Authority is not visible on the Council Tax Bills. The Chief Executive responded that legislation sets out that the Levey towards the Fire & Rescue Authority is not shown on the Council Tax Bills.  He suggested that a letter be sent to Welsh Government to request that they reconsider this legislation in the future.  The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that legislation regulates who is allowed to charge a precept on the Council Tax i.e. Police Authority and Town and Community Councils; the Fire & Rescue Authority can charge a levy and Welsh Government legislation does not allow local authorities to show the charge of such levy on the Council Tax Bills; it does show on the Council’s website and the leaflet accompanying the Council Tax Bills to show how the Authority spends its funding. 

·         Reference was made to the response of the Chief Fire Officer to the draft response prepared by the Council.  Questions were raised as to whether the documentation before the Committee will change the perspective of the response of the Council significantly and whether there will need for further scrutiny of the documentation.  The Leader of the Council responded that due to the time constraints of the consultation the Leadership Team have discussed the response to the consultation as regards to Emergency Cover Review and it was considered important that this Scrutiny Committee be given the opportunity to forward recommendations to the Executive on the draft response prepared on behalf of the Council.

·         Reference was made to Option 3 within the documentation with regard to possible options of the closure of the Fire Station at Beaumaris.  Councillor Alun Roberts a Local Member for the Seiriol Ward expressed that it was considered that the option to close the Fire Station in Beaumaris would result in putting lives in danger due to resilience of both bridges due to weather conditions and the rural communities in the south east of the Island.  He noted that the highways structure in the area experience continued flooding.  He further said that there are 2 Care Homes in the area.  The Chief Executive responded that the matters raised will be noted within the draft response.

It was RESOLVED :-

·       To accept the initial draft response of the Council as attached to the report subject to that the following:-

·       That the Leadership Team should consider the additional information received by the Chief Fire Officer;

·       To propose the following comments for consideration by the  Leadership Team as part of the review process before the Executive at its meeting on 26 September, 2023:-

·         To request that the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service conduct a review of their administrative and central costs as a basis for setting the levy contribution incorporating the input of the Section 151 Officers in North Wales;

·          To request Welsh Government to consider that the levy charged by   the Fire & Rescue Service should be noted on the Council Tax Bills for local residents;

·         That factors within Option 3 within the report needs to be considered as regards to the resilience of both bridges due to weather conditions and the rural communities in the South East of the Island;

·     To note that there are additional costs implications included in        the        three Options put forward by the North Wales & Rescue Service.