Contact: Jenny Heath, ext 7402

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(a) That Cabinet approve appendix two as the Council's (Best Value) review programme for 2005/06 and its publication in the statutory update of the Performance Plan on 30 June 2005

(b) That additional review activity will be considered in the light of the resources already engaged in delivering this programme and priorities amended as appropriate.

2 Reasons for the recommendations

2.1 The Council is under a statutory obligation to maintain a programme of Best Value reviews, covering all its functions.

2.2 The Council is also required to demonstrate it has an improvement plan, indicating how it is responding to lessons learnt through Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).

2.3 The review programme ensures that existing services are fundamentally challenged, both in the way they are provided and whether they should be provided at all. This contributes directly to the corporate strategy aim of `Improving Services' both by identifying ways to improve services and by considering the most economic, effective and efficient ways of doing so.

3 Other options considered and rejected - None.

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker, or member or officer consulted - None.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6 Reason for matter being dealt with, if urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: .................................. Date: ..............................
Councillor T. K. Thornber, CBE