Alert close - icon Fill 1 Copy 10 Untitled-1 tt copy 3 Untitled-1 Untitled-1 tt copy 3 Fill 1 Copy 10 menu Group 3 Group 3 Copy 3 Group 3 Copy Page 1 Group 2 Group 2 Skip to content

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, County Hall, Matlock. View directions

Contact: Juliette Normington  Email: Juliette.Normington@derbyshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

30/23

Declarations of Interest

To receive Declarations of Interest (if any)

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

31/23

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 129 KB

To confirm the non-exempt minutes of the meeting of the Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Health held on 24 July 2023.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2023 were confirmed as a correct record.

32/23

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 54 KB

30 minutes maximum for this item.  Questions may be submitted to be answered by the Scrutiny Committee or Council officers who are attending the meeting as witnesses, on any item that is within the scope of the Committee. Please see the procedure (below) for the submission of questions.

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

33/23

Notice of Requisition - Increase in Costs of School Dinner Meals

Minutes:

Three Members of the Committee had submitted a requisition notice which now required the Committee to look at the potential impact on children’s health following the decision of the Cabinet Member for Education to increase the price of school meals.

 

Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Education attended the meeting along with officers from Public Health to provide a brief explanation of the rationale behind the decision and the other options that had been considered.

 

On behalf of the Members who had submitted the requisition notice, Councillor Dave Allen highlighted a few areas of concern relating to the decision and the potential impact this would have on children’s health. These included the low take up of free school meals which was already being experienced and the number of families who were not entitled to this service but had a relatively low income. School meals provided children with a balanced diet which may not be the case if families were forced to provide a cheaper packed lunch.

 

Councillor Allen also made reference to a publication by Henry Dimbleby which had made several recommendations to improve the quality of school meals and food education and actions to assist disadvantaged children. Councillor Allen requested the Chairman to consider setting up a working group to look at various issues and the potential impact on children’s health arising from the increase in price of school meals.

 

The Committee agreed that it would consider undertaking a review of school meals and children’s health and in order to commence the process Councillor Allen would submit a review proposal form to enable the Improvement and Scrutiny Officer to draft a scoping report for the next meeting.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Improvement and Scrutiny Officer to draft a scoping report for the next meeting.

34/23

Exclusion of the Public

To move that under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that in view of the nature of the business, that if members of the public were present exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 would be disclosed to them and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Minutes:

To move that under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that in view of the nature of the business, that if members of the public were present exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 would be disclosed to them and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

35/23

To consider the exempt report to the Cabinet Member on School Meals (dated 10 July 2023)

Minutes:

Members of the Committee received the exempt report of the Executive Director – Children’s Services that had been submitted for approval to the Cabinet Member for Education on 10 July 2023.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To note the report.