About you
3. What is your name?
Name
(Required)
Helene Gourichon
5. Are you responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation?
Name of organisation
South Lanarkshire Council
Information about your organisation
Local Authority
Question page 1
7. Did you take part in any consultation exercise preceding the Bill and, if so, did you comment on the financial assumptions made?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
Yes, South Lanarkshire Council took part of the Consultation on Good Food Nation Proposals for Legislation (answer submitted in March 2019). No comments were provided on financial assumptions and we believe that the Council was not consulted about the financial assumptions.
8. If applicable, do you believe your comments on the financial assumptions have been accurately reflected in the FM?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
Not applicable.
9. Did you have sufficient time to contribute to the consultation exercise?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
Yes, we believe that the Council had sufficient time to respond to the consultation exercise.
10. If the Bill has any financial implications for you or your organisation, do you believe that they have been accurately reflected in the FM? If not, please provide details.
Please provide your response in the box provided.
The Bill has financial implications for South Lanarkshire Council as the council will have to coordinate the development of the plan; prepare a draft; manage a consultation process and assessment of responses; publish the document; raise awareness within the local authority of the need for officers to have regard to the plans in the exercise of certain functions; and co-ordinate and report on progress every two years.
SLC has already produced a food strategy (including a consultation process), produces a food action plan every year and reports on the action plan twice a year to the Council Climate Change and Sustainability Committee.
The Council considers that the financial implications have been accurately reflected in the Financial Memorandum with regards to:
- the nature of human resources who should be involved (i.e. one Team Leader and one Junior Manager);
- the consultation cost;
- the publication costs.
The time allocated to the plan for the Team Leader (i.e. 20% and then 5%) seems to be reasonable, however, the time allocated by the Junior Manager does not reflect the time needed to develop, monitor and report on the plan - even if the Council was to develop a plan every five years and report every two years.
SLC has already produced a food strategy (including a consultation process), produces a food action plan every year and reports on the action plan twice a year to the Council Climate Change and Sustainability Committee.
The Council considers that the financial implications have been accurately reflected in the Financial Memorandum with regards to:
- the nature of human resources who should be involved (i.e. one Team Leader and one Junior Manager);
- the consultation cost;
- the publication costs.
The time allocated to the plan for the Team Leader (i.e. 20% and then 5%) seems to be reasonable, however, the time allocated by the Junior Manager does not reflect the time needed to develop, monitor and report on the plan - even if the Council was to develop a plan every five years and report every two years.
Question page 2
11. Do you consider that the estimated costs and savings set out in the FM are reasonable and accurate?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
The Council does not consider the estimated costs associated to the development and reporting of the plan reasonable, in particular the time allocated by the Junior Manager. Based on the council experience to develop food plan, monitor and report on it, the following assumptions is proposed:
- Year 1: Staff resource 2- Junior Manager (£37,957), 75% - £28,467
- Year 2 and subsequent years: Staff resource 2- Junior Manager (£37,957), 25% - £9,489.25
- Year 1: Staff resource 2- Junior Manager (£37,957), 75% - £28,467
- Year 2 and subsequent years: Staff resource 2- Junior Manager (£37,957), 25% - £9,489.25
12. If applicable, are you content that your organisation can meet any financial costs that it might incur as a result of the Bill? If not, how do you think these costs should be met?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
Funding for the outcomes of the Good Food Nation Bill in relation to local authority costs are not budgeted within current Council resources.
The expectation is that funding would be provided to support the implementation and delivery requirements of the bill by the Scottish Government and part of the FM.
Alternatively, Council services would need to be reduced to accommodate within existing resources the requirement of the Bill via the budget setting process.
The expectation is that funding would be provided to support the implementation and delivery requirements of the bill by the Scottish Government and part of the FM.
Alternatively, Council services would need to be reduced to accommodate within existing resources the requirement of the Bill via the budget setting process.
13. Does the FM accurately reflect the margins of uncertainty associated with the Bill’s estimated costs and with the timescales over which they would be expected to arise?
Please provide your response in the box provided.
The 3% increase of pay levels reflecting a potential pay increase seems to be reasonable. The requirements profiled over the Yr1 and Yr2 and beyond would seem appropriate.