Council drags feet on invoice payment
http://www.ealing.gov.uk/ealing3/export/sites/ealingweb/services/council/committees/agendas_minutes_reports/scrutiny/council_business_and_community_partnerships_scrutiny_panel/19may2009-24may2010/_1_april_2010/Agenda_Item_07_Best_Value_Performance_Indicator_8_Update.docOn 1 April 2010 Scrutiny Committee will be informed of the percentage of invoices paid on time which appears to be targetted at a 30 day timescale.For 12 months up to March the average seems to have been 61% against a target of 80% which has never been achieved in those 12 months. It seems that since September the percentage figures have been dropping with only a small rise recently.For a Council that puts itself forward as wanting to help local business this is a continuing poor record for well over a year if not much longer (was it Councillor Malcolm who had the figures somewhere?), even though suppliers can ask for compensation at laid down rates which would be a negligent waste of taxpayers money.In the Budget today the Chancellor said bills incurred by public services should be paid in 5 days. That includes Councils according to an interview with someone from another Council, who claims they already pay on average within 10 days.Regeneration and Housing seem to be the worst culprits (Millican in the frame again [and hope the Mipim bills will be paid quickly]) followed, Councillor Phil, by Environment & Customers.So, Phil I have queried your monthly report about checking up on how quickly customers are processed on the grounds that it seems to be working pretty well. I asked if there was another area on which you could focus your beady eye. Well there you are.This sort of issue cannot reflect too well on the Leader of the Council either. Nothing is more embarassing than dealing with the cheque's in the post syndrome.I hope that rather than receiving half a report which seems to suggest that it has taken at least a year to even sort this problem, I would hope the Scrutiny Committee demands new and stretching targets which should impact on the Directorates' personal pay packets if substantial improvements are not achieved within a stated and hopefully published timescale. It would have been a fuller report if it had stated how mch money was at stake as well, but then I imagine the author doesn't want independent scrutineers like me to address the reputation of the Council in even greater detail.I wonder if Scrutiny has the moral courage to stand up and be counted. I voted for the Scrutiny job to be saved. It was, and so Ealing expects.
George Knox ● 6032d0 Comments