Decision details

(i)       to approve of the actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as set out in Appendix 1;

(ii)       to note all actions taken by officers to ensure compliance with the law and relevant government guidance was taken in accordance with the Council’s approved Scheme of Governance, approved Generic Emergency Plan and decisions of the Urgent Business Committee;

(iii)      to note that the impact of Covid-19 on the Council, and the Council’s response to the impact, is being reviewed as part of the Best Value Audit of Aberdeen City Council and that Audit Scotland has advised external auditors to continue to consider all councils’ arrangements for financial sustainability in light of Covid-19;

(iv)      to note that the financial implications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic remain uncertain as guidance, levels, restrictions, and obligations placed on the Council frequently change. This uncertainty has increased due to the woefully inadequate local government budget for 2021/22 proposed by Scottish Government;

(v)      to note that the Committee agenda today has the Q3 financial monitoring report that provides an update on the distribution of the Income Loss Scheme and the latest financial forecasts for the year;

(vi)      to note Council has received specific grant funding as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, predominantly distributed directly by the Scottish Government. Agrees the way the Scottish Government has distributed grant funding is complex and inconsistent, with some paid in advance, others being paid at the end of the year and others being claimed in arrears. Therefore, instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Local Government Minister, asking him to investigate why grant funding distribution is more complex and inconsistent than it requires to be, noting that the distribution of grants is an example of where the Council has experienced a significant increase in demand on its resource;

(vii)     to welcome Aberdeen City Council being shortlisted again, this time for the prestigious Project Management Institute (PMI) UK National Project Award. Noting the Institute has created a special award this year to mark the UK’s best Covid-19 response project. Notes Aberdeen City Council has been nominated by the public for its “Covid-19 remote, secure collaboration programme” to empower employees to work from home and take the necessary actions to maintain services despite the impact of the pandemic. Notes the Council is the only UK local authority and the only Scottish organisation in the running for the award. Notes the council is shortlisted alongside other fantastic projects such as the UK Job Retention schemes and Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine research on the shortlist of ten;

(viii)    to agree to instruct the Chief Executive to commend our hard-working employees involved in our Covid-19 response; and

(ix)      that in relation to Naloxone, to request that the Chief Officer - Governance provide details to Councillor McRae regarding the uptake amongst services and the numbers being supplied across the city.