Business Operations and Partnerships Department
Director of Business Operations & Partnerships: Louise Pringle
Council Headquarters, Eastwood Park, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, G46 6UG
Phone: 0141 577 3000 Fax: 0141 577 3834
website: www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Date: 20 October 2023
When calling please ask for: John Burke (Tel. No 0141-577-3026)
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

TO: Councillors O O’Donnell (Chair); A Anderson (Vice Chair); D Devlin and K Pragnell.

CABINET
A meeting of the Cabinet will be held in the Council Chambers, East Renfrewshire Council Headquarters, Eastwood Park, Giffnock on

Thursday, 2 November 2023 at 10.00am.

The agenda of business is as shown below.
Louise Pringle
L PRINGLE
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

AGENDA
1. Report apologies for absence.
2. Declarations of Interest.

3. Estimated Revenue Budget Out-Turn 2023/24 – Report by Head of Accountancy
(Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 3 to 42).

4. COVID Reserve – Review and Final Proposals – Report by Director of Business
Operations and Partnerships (copy attached, pages 43 to 60).

5. HRA Land Sale Located at Springfield Road, Barrhead – Report by Director of
Environment (copy attached, pages 61 to 62).

This document can be explained to you in other languages and can be provided in
alternative formats such as large print and Braille. For further information, please
contact Customer First on 0141 577 3001 or email

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A recording of the meeting will also be available following the meeting on the
Council’s YouTube Channel

www.youtube.com/user/eastrenfrewshire/videos

You can read Papers/reports on Council webpage here -

www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/cabinet-021123

------ Original Message ------
To: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sent: Thursday, 9 Nov, 2023 At 10:33
Subject: Questions/Answers? - Cabinet Committee Meeting - 2 November 2023 - Agenda Item 3

Dear Chair Cabinet - Owen O'Donnell

Openness, Transparency and Scrutiny

Cabinet Committee Meeting - 2 November 2023
3. Estimated Revenue Budget Out-Turn 2023/24 – Report by Head of Accountancy (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 3 to 42).

Would appreciate if you would give the following information.

You say at approx 4:24 into the Cabinet Meeting recording -

'Margaret, we've already had a lot of questions from me and we've gone through a lot of the detail thanks for your time on that'

In the interests of Openness and Transparency and to ensure proper scrutiny of the Report/Cabinet/Council Officials, surely these questions should be asked at the meeting and the questions/answers recorded?

Your questions and the answers given by Council Officials should be open to scrutiny?

When/where were your questions asked and the answers given?

Were your questions put in writing? - If not, how were they put?

Were the answers given in writing? - If not, how were they given?

Why were your questions not asked and answers given at the Cabinet Meeting at Agenda Item 3?

Would appreciate if you can give a list of the questions asked by yourself and the answers given.

Would appreciate courtesy of acknowledgement/response.

Thanks

------ Original Message ------
To: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sent: Monday, 4 Dec, 2023 At 11:09
Subject: Freedom of Information(FOI) Request - Questions previously asked by Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell and the answers given by Margaret McCrossan - Cabinet Committee Meeting - 2 November 2023 and Agenda Item 3

Dear Head of Accountancy

Freedom of Information(FOI) Request

This Freedom of Information(FOI) Request concerns Cabinet Committee Meeting - 2 November 2023 and Agenda Item 3

3. Estimated Revenue Budget Out-Turn 2023/24 – Report by Head of Accountancy (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 3 to 42).

It specifically concerns the questions previously asked by Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell and the answers given by Margaret McCrossan(Head of Accountancy).

Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell says at approx 4:24 into the Cabinet Meeting(2/11/2023) recording -

'Margaret, we've already had a lot of questions from me and we've gone through a lot of the detail thanks for your time on that...'

and goes on to say

'...Thank you for the very detailed response you gave to individual queries I had on that which we resolved separately...'

Please provide all recorded information held regarding these Questions previously asked by Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell and the answers given/provided by Margaret McCrossan(Head of Accountancy).

Please also provide correspondence(Emails/texts etc) to/from/between Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell/Margaret McCrossan/Council Officials/Councillors regarding these questions/answers.

Please provide

- list of the questions asked by Chair Cllr Owen O'Donnell

- the answers given by Margaret McCrossan(Head of Accountancy)

- When/where/how were questions asked and the answers given?

- How long did it take to ask these questions and get the answers?

- Were questions put in writing? - If not, how were they put?

- Were answers given in writing? - If not, how were they given?

Your help will be apprecisted.

The Scottish Information Commissioner has written -
'The duty to advise and assist
Under FOI law authorities have a duty to advise and assist people who wantto access their information. The duty to advise and assist makes sure that customer service and customer engagement are central to FOI practice.
Taking a positive and proactive approach to the duty to advise and assist will strengthen relations with service users and help build trust. Offering help, support and guidance to people looking for information will also reduce the likelihood of more FOI requests.
Legal requirement
The FOI Act requires authorities to provide reasonable advice and assistance to people who have made, or are planning to make, a request for information (section 15).
The EIRs contain a similar provision for requests for environmental information (regulation 9).
Both the FOI Act and the EIRs say that authorities which comply with the Scottish Minister's FOI Code of Practice when providing advice and assistance are complying with the duty under FOI law'


Thanks