Update from Jane Scott
To receive an update from Jane Scott, Leader of Wiltshire Council.
Minutes:
Jane Scott, Leader of Wiltshire Council updated the board on the ‘big issues’ the Council were dealing with.
Health
She explained that the Health and Social Care Bill had become an Act and that this would be ‘big business’ for the Council. The Council was already engaged in establishing the Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) a key element of the NHS reforms. The Health and Wellbeing Board will be responsible for providing strategic leadership in promoting integrated working between the local authority, the NHS, and Public Health. It will be the focal point for high-level decision making about the health and wellbeing needs of the local community, and will set the direction and priorities for local commissioning arrangements.
Policing
Elections of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales would be direct elections in each police area of England and Wales.
Police and Crime Panel would be formal joint committees of the councils within the force area so for Wiltshire the panel will be a joint committee of Swindon and Wiltshire Councils. Work is underway between the two councils and the police authority so that the shadow panel can be in place by the Summer 2012 in plenty of time for when the PCC is elected in November 2012.
Local Enterprise Partnership
The Swindon and Wiltshire LEP have been allocated further funding to help with economic development and infrastructure.
Budget
The budget has been approved by Council and frontline services are stable. She also announced that there would be free swimming for children (under 16’s) during the holidays.
The Chairman welcomed questions.
Would the Health and Wellbeing board be a panel of elected members? Jane Scott explained that board would be a mix of elected members, health care professionals and Health watch and would take a strategic role. She also explained that money in the Primary Care Trust would be transferred to the Council and that opportunity would arise here to make efficiencies.
What was happening with the Core Strategy? After Council in February, the Wiltshire Core Strategy pre-submission document was published for consultation for a six week period and ended in April 2012, hoping for approval around June, but a date is not known.
The Chairman thanked Jane Scott for her update to the Area Board.