1. That the progress and achievements delivered to date through a range of existing delivery models be acknowledged.
2. That the primary objective the council seeks to achieve by developing its approach to trading is to deliver public value for Surrey residents and businesses be confirmed.
3. That the creation of a Surrey County Council Shareholder Board (‘the Board’) with responsibility for exercising ‘shareholder control’ over any limited (‘trading’) companies established by the council be approved and the Strategic Director for Change and Efficiency, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member for Change and Efficiency and Chief Executive, be asked to establish the Board.
4. That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director for Change and Efficiency, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Change and Efficiency, to establish a trading company that will deliver in the first instance ‘business services’ and in order to do so:
a. to consider and approve a business case, which must satisfy the statutory requirements and the criteria set out in paragraph 28 and 29 of the submitted report; and
b. to approve the Articles of Association including the naming of Directors of the company.
5. That the opportunities that a range of delivery models provides be acknowledged, future proposals (expressed as options appraisals and business cases) from services across the council over the three-year period 2013 – 2016 be welcomed and the Strategic Director for Change and Efficiency be asked to lead a programme of work that will review service delivery models including currently traded activity.
Reasons for Decisions
In the current financial and funding climate for local government it is essential that the council continues to focus on delivering public value to the residents of Surrey.
The council recognises that a range of delivery models are already and should continue to be used to provide services that best meet the needs of Surrey residents and businesses. Building on existing successes, the recommendations set out in this report will enable the council to continue to anticipate and respond to the challenges it faces and represent the next phase of its approach to ensure Surrey residents receive good quality public services.
[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee]