Councillors expenses

[accysimon]

A major question here, is just how much will the Labour Group stop all these 'unfair' (allegedly) expenses if they were to come to power?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by accysimon

What is the issue of Daltons (as it should be spelt) doing printing for HBC? I know Graham Jones worked there, but he was in opposition wasn't he, so how could he have any influence over this?

I would think councillors have nothing to do with deciding who supplies food and printing to the council and it is done by officers.

I can't remember the exact amount but I think it is £500 where 3 quotes are needed for a spend to comply with the council tendering rules.

They might class each lunch as a separate spend so don't need to tender for it. I would hope they did tender though as it is £4000 a year and many local firms would like a nice regular contract like that so would be competitive.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by accysimon

A major question here, is just how much will the Labour Group stop all these 'unfair' (allegedly) expenses if they were to come to power?

They will be reduced by quite a lot, Simon.

A few of us have been going through the figures in detail and we spend a shocking amount on individual expenses, many of which cannot be justified as they stand. The system needs reforming to reduce spending across the board and get better value for money in areas that are a little lax.

Most reforms take around a year to kick in but cutting throwaway cheques can be done overnight.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

They will be reduced by quite a lot, Simon.

A few of us have been going through the figures in detail and we spend a shocking amount on individual expenses, many of which cannot be justified as they stand. The system needs reforming to reduce spending across the board and get better value for money in areas that are a little lax.

Most reforms take around a year to kick in but cutting throwaway cheques can be done overnight.

I wait with bated breathe Kenny old chap

[Bernard Dawson]

Originally Posted by accysimon

A major question here, is just how much will the Labour Group stop all these 'unfair' (allegedly) expenses if they were to come to power?

We need a major overall of the expenses system. The Council just can't afford the amount of expenses we pay at the present. We pay far more in Councillors expenses that many Councils of a similar size.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

I would think councillors have nothing to do with deciding who supplies food and printing to the council and it is done by officers.

Can anyone confirm that this is so?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

Can anyone confirm that this is so?

I would like to know as well, Councillors must be to busy to worry where the food comes from, they must be. Well I hope they are

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Neil

I would like to know as well, Councillors must be to busy to worry where the food comes from, they must be. Well I hope they are

Well it is a full time job for some of them Neil, especially if they pack their day job in because they say its interfering with their political work

[Less]

Originally Posted by Neil

I would like to know as well, Councillors must be to busy to worry where the food comes from, they must be. Well I hope they are

There's one Councillor on here that isn't too busy to worry about where the food comes from, maybe there should be a few more Councillors that could take time out and see if there is waste or extravagence that they can insist is curbed?


Another couple of thoughts about the sandwiches? Are there always enough? Are there regularly too many and if so, what happens to the extras?

In other words, does someone from the contracted company nip around before hand taking a buttie order, or is there always a massive spread paid for automatically just in case all the scroungers, erm sorry I meant Councillors turn up at once for a free lunch?

Does our glorious leader use his medal ribbon as a bib?

[Ken Moss]

There are always more than enough sandwiches to go around and I think the staff snaffle up the ones that are left. Fair enough really, they clean up the plates and make sure we have a flask of hot water ready for our brews.

[gynn]

I can answer those questions.

1. The choice of supplier for a contract this size is an officer responsibility. Members would have no part to play. The relevant part of the Council's constitution says:-

5.1 This procedure applies to contracts where the estimated value of works, goods and services to be supplied is less than £10 000;

5.2 The relevant Chief Officer must be satisfied that the procedure adopted secures the best value for money for the Council and where practicable at least two quotations should be obtained. E-mailed quotations are acceptable but a copy of each quotation received must be retained on file.

I'm sure the relevant quotations will be available on file to any member who wishes to ask.

2. If there are any sandwiches left over after the meetings, a general call goes out across Scaitcliffe House and the sandwiches aren't left uneaten for long.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

There are always more than enough sandwiches to go around and I think the staff snaffle up the ones that are left. Fair enough really, they clean up the plates and make sure we have a flask of hot water ready for our brews.

2. If there are any sandwiches left over after the meetings, a general call goes out across Scaitcliffe House and the sandwiches aren't left uneaten for long.

Isn't that similar to stealing Biro's?
(only kidding, better they get the leftovers than such things go to waste, after all by the time the hard working menials get to go home they'll have digested them so the butties won't leave the premises).

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

There are always more than enough sandwiches to go around and I think the staff snaffle up the ones that are left...

I can understand if occasionally, there are surplus sandwiches.....but '..always more than enough'? Surely this suggests the council is paying more than it should for its catering services? And what the hell are the staff doing scoffing the leftovers? Should they not be at their work stations, doing the job the ratepayer pays them to do? Or are some of them surplus as well?

[Less]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I can understand if occasionally, there are surplus sandwiches.....but '..always more than enough'? Surely this suggests the council is paying more than it should for its catering services? And what the hell are the staff doing scoffing the leftovers? Should they not be at their work stations, doing the job the ratepayer pays them to do? Or are some of them surplus as well?

I think I put it a little more gently, I wouldn't want to make it seem that every day around 2 o'clock there is a bun fight between the highly paid executives & those of lower status rushing to the executive dining area, all doffing their caps & thanking the high and mighty for the crumbs from their table.

Surely the common workers will prove themselves above such charity...

[garinda]

Originally Posted by gynn

5.1 This procedure applies to contracts where the estimated value of works, goods and services to be supplied is less than £10 000;

5.2 The relevant Chief Officer must be satisfied that the procedure adopted secures the best value for money for the Council and where practicable at least two quotations should be obtained. E-mailed quotations are acceptable but a copy of each quotation received must be retained on file.

Still rather confusing.
Will quotes have been obtained, even though the annual cost is less than £10,000.?

Originally Posted by gynn

The contract for providing lunches at Scaitcliffe House is, under the Council's constitution, deemed to be a small contract, and as such will effectively fly under the radar in terms of requiring competitive tenders to be sought.

As stated earlier, I'm sure there's nothing amiss, even though we now have a councillor with close ties to the firm contracted to do the catering.