Contact: Colin Hinxman - Ext: 7343

1. Part I, Chapter 4 of the Constitution sets out a list of functions reserved to the County Council, including the responsibility for agreeing and adopting plans and strategies known as the County Council's "Policy Framework". Among the plans contained within the list on page 16 of the Constitution is the Community Care Plan. This Plan is now no longer required and can be deleted from the list.

2. At the same time the County Council has statutory responsibilities to contribute to multi-agency plans entitled "Health Improvement and Modernisation Programmes", which are produced by the Health Service Primary Care Trusts, but to which the County Council needs to subscribe. The County Council also needs formally to adopt a Plan "New Directions for Social Services", which is not in itself a statutory document, but a summary of all the statutory and other plans produced in the area of social care. Both the above documents do form part of the County Council's policy framework and should therefore be added to the list.

3. Legal, Finance and Contract Matters

To reflect more clearly the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Modification of Enactment and Further Provisions) (England) Order 2001, paragraph 13.4 (Authenticating documents) should have added at the end of the second paragraph the following sentence:

"Any contract over a value of £75,000 which is not under seal must be signed by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services (or any other person authorised by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services) and one other person also authorised to do so by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services."

4. Model Code of Conduct for Members

At the last meeting of the Standards Committee on 29 January 2002 the Committee recommended to the County Council that the Statutory Model Code of Conduct for Members be adopted. The County Council accepted this recommendation and adopted the Code at its meeting on 28 March 2002.

As a result of this decision the existing Members Code of Conduct to be found at Part 4:1 of the Constitution requires to be deleted in its entirety and replaced by the Model Code of Conduct for Members adopted by the County Council on 28 March 2002.

RECOMMENDATION:

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the County Council

(i) That Part I, Chapter 4 of the Constitution, paragraph 4.01(c) be amended:

By the deletion of the Community Care Plan.

By the addition of Health Improvement and Modernisation Programmes and New Directions for Social Services.


(ii) That Part I, Chapter 13 of the Constitution, paragraph 13.4 "Authenticating Documents" be amended by the addition at the end of the second paragraph of the following sentence:

"Any contract over a value of £75,000 which is not under seal must be signed by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services (or any other person authorised by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services) and one other person also authorised to do so by the Head of Corporate and Legal Services".

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

5jR70602