Transcript
Welcome to the second Executive Council meeting of this new Council.
I probably won't keep count all the way through.
It's going to get to a very high number.
I just want to say this meeting is being recorded and it is being live streamed via the Council's website.
There is no fire alarm set for today, so if it does go off, quickly run out that direction.
Or that direction, depending on your position in the room.
Members should be mindful that the high performing loop system is sensitive to any type of noise in the Chamber.
Ambient sound from the Chamber immediately prior to the meetings and during open sessions may be picked up by the Loop.
And therefore, Councillors should conduct private conversations outside of the Chamber.
The Loop will be muted at the close of the meeting.
When invited to speak, you should press the button on your microphone unit to make it live.
Please speak directly into the microphone and press the button again to switch it off once you have finished speaking.
There is only the ability for two, maybe three microphones to work at a time, so if you forget yours, then other people can't speak.
So if you can try to remember, if you don't, people quite quickly point at you and start talking about the microphone.
Just to add fun to the day, there's going to be a slight change to the agenda, and I would like to propose to change the agenda's order so that the items can be considered in the following order.
Exemption to contract regulations for Lincolnshire Community Equipment Services, then the review of the financial performance, then the re-procurement of the occupational health contract, and finally, I wish, the local government reorganisation feedback on proposals.
Is everybody in agreement with that?
So, on to the agenda proper, then.
Item number one, apologies for absence.
Rachel.
Thank you, Leader.
We have apologies from Councillor Oliver.
Lovely.
Thank you.
Item number two, declarations of members' interests.
That is to say, ones that have not formally been mentioned before.
Are there any declarations of members' interests?
I don't see any.
So, thirdly, announcements by the leader, executive councillors and executive directors.
I've got two things to say.
Despite being a Tory, I just want to take notice of Norman Tebbit.
He was an extraordinary politician and somebody that had a very, very eventful life, and he passed away, unfortunately, yesterday.
So, I just wanted to mention Norman Tebbit.
And, a bit closer to home, although he's just had an eye operation, and he needs his wife to drive him around everywhere,
Mike Cheyne is here today, on his first wedding anniversary.
So, I'd just like to commend him for his commitment, and his wife's commitment, because I don't think at your first wedding anniversary,
you should be driving your new husband to council meetings.
But, congratulations, Michael.
Are there anybody else that would like to make a statement?
Councillor Steve Clegg.
Thank you, Chairman.
Last week, saw the government's 10-year health plan for England published,
with its focus on shifting care from hospitals to communities,
harnessing digital innovation, and prioritising prevention.
It offers a promising vision for Lincolnshire's adult care and public health services.
These aims align with our efforts to address health inequalities and improve outcomes for all our residents,
from younger people with complex needs to those requiring long-term care.
Lincolnshire County Council has been leading work with the NHS to develop community and primary care partnerships,
and we see neighbourhood health services as a key opportunity to build this.
However, delivering these ambitions requires addressing significant challenges.
Rural communities, such as those in Lincolnshire, face deprivation that is often less visible,
but just as pressing as in urban areas.
The plan's emphasis on digital tools and data-driven interventions could enhance service delivery,
but the digital divide must be bridged to prevent widening health inequalities.
Our collaboration with the University of Lincoln to map digital exclusion areas across the county
underscores our commitment to ensuring equitable access.
The health and social care sectors are under strain from rising demand,
workforce challenges, and increased financial pressures,
including the recent rise in employers' national insurance contributions.
While the plan's goals are ambitious,
they require realistic funding, clear guidance, and robust government support to succeed.
We remain committed to our statutory duties and public health responsibilities,
working closely with NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board and the Department of Health and Social Care
to ensure the plan meets our county's unique needs,
particularly in rural access and support for vulnerable residents.
In line with Reform UK's principles of value for money,
cutting waste, and common-sense approaches,
we will prioritise high-impact services and minimise inefficiencies.
The King's Fund rightly notes that the plan's success hinges on local leadership and adequate resources.
We urge the government to provide the necessary tools, funding, and flexibility
to make this vision a reality for the people of Lincolnshire.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor.
Andy Gutherson, I think you...
Thank you, Leader.
Most people probably heard this on the news this morning,
but overnight the Department of Transport made a number of announcements
regarding funding for transport schemes.
Included in that announcement was confirmation of the funding for the North Highcomer Relief Road.
It is still subject to the final business case that needs to be submitted to the DFT for final approval,
and that is dependent on the outcome of the North Highcomer Public Inquiry,
which is taking place to fund that scheme.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Does anybody else have anything to say from the executive or the executive directors?
Okay, moving on to Item 4, then, Minutes of the Previous Meeting.
This is to confirm the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.
Can I have a proposer?
Thank you, Chairman.
I'm more than happy to move those minutes.
I'm happy to second them.
Thank you, Councillors.
Can I have a show of hands, then, on those minutes?
Thank you.
Right, I'll sign them at the end, apparently.
Okay, so Item 5 is to consider of an exemption information.
I move that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act of 1972,
the press and the public will are to be excluded from the meeting for the following agenda item,
on the grounds that it is considered to contain exempt information,
as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act,
as amended.
Can I seek approval from the executive, please?
Good morning, Leader.
Welcome back, everybody.
We are live-streamed again.
So Item 7, then, on the agenda is the review...
Oh, no, 5?
Sorry.
Oh, yeah, it's got 7 next to it on here.
That's okay.
So Item 5 is to review the financial performance 2024-2025.
Michelle, there you are.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So the report sets out our year-end position and explains variances on our revenue and capital budgets,
an update on our reserves position and our prudential indicators.
So Table 1 of the report on page 14 is a summary of our revenue budget for the 2024-2025 additional funding received
that was over budget of £2.7 million.
The report provides some detailed explanations of variances against each service
and how out-term compares to the quarterly forecasts that were presented at executive during the year.
During the year, we had forecast an overspend on our service budgets
with explanation of the pressures within the school budget balances are ring-fenced
and will be carried forward automatically.
And the overspend highlighted on the high-needs block, excluding special schools,
has been offset in £19 million during the year to improve and create assets for our service delivery.
Variances on the programme are usually the result of delivery timing
and project details and impacts are included.
Thank you, Michelle.
I think we'll go to Councillor Roberts from the Oversight and Scrutor Committee,
who has sat there very quietly, which is not like him.
Thank you, Leader.
Members, I'm pleased to be amongst you today to present the comments
that the Board raised at its meeting on the 26th of June.
In relation to the consideration of the Council's financial performance to date,
the Board considered this report and resolved to unanimously endorse its contents
and support its recommendations.
During discussion, the Board raised a number of points,
which we'll try to summarise briefly for you.
We began by considering the Council's approach to borrowing and capital investment,
given the current level of debt of up to £459 million and the reduced reserves position.
Members questioned the prudence of the continuing to borrow at this scale
and sought assurance that the value and impact of the investments being made.
Officers confirmed that all capital spend is underpinned by sound business cases,
aligned with the Prudential Code,
and directed towards unlocking long-term growth opportunities,
particularly in infrastructure.
Turned to the Council's financial resilience.
The Board examined the use of reserves.
There was concern about sustainability,
but officers provided assurance that the use of reserves was planned and externally reviewed,
including for specific initiatives such as flood relief and tackling antisocial behaviour.
We were also reminded that the £25 million savings target is only a baseline,
and the servicers are preparing scenarios for more substantial reductions if needed.
There was also interest in the accuracy of forecasting.
Members queried why a Q3 forecast indicated an overspend,
while the final overturn showed a surplus.
Officers explained that some contingencies were held back from Q3 to retain flexibility
and were ultimately not required, leading to an improved year-end position.
Education and SEND funding also received close attention.
Members raised concerns about the ongoing pressure on the high-needs block
and the growing cost of home-to-school transport.
Officers confirmed that statutory override protecting general funds remains in place until 2028.
And the special schools expansion program is already underway to help address the challenges.
Waste disposal costs were scrutinised,
particularly a report overspend, particularly caused by outages at the Energy From Waste Facility.
Officers clarified that increased waste volumes were also a factor
and noted that contractual cost-sharing arrangements with the operator
had mitigated some of the financial impact.
On income generation, members welcomed a positive variance
from the traffic regulation orders and high-waste licenced income,
which had exceeded expectations and helped offset some highways maintenance costs.
Lastly, the board received clarification on several other matters,
including investment in carbon management schemes,
the National Pay Award, a provision that had been made in advance,
and the governance arrangement for bringing in external support
as part of the council's efficiency program.
The leader confirmed that such arrangements will remain fully lawful
and compliant with the council's constitution.
Agenda... Sorry, leader.
I have extra ones here. Do I do these now, or do I do these when we come to each area?
Just stick to the agenda item.
Right, OK. Thank you, leader.
Don't worry, I'll come back to you.
Executive members, are there any questions for Michelle?
Thank you, Michelle.
Councillor Clay.
Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you, Michelle, for your presentation there.
And actually, if I may, I'd actually like to direct this question
to the Executive Director of Adult Care, who's behind me.
So I'll look up at the TV screen.
I'd like to draw members' attention to item 19 on page 36, if I've got that right.
Yes, page 36.
It's in relation to overspending in mental health community support.
And I've got a few questions, which if I, they're interrelated, so if I could put those,
all three of them together, and then if, Martin, if you're happy to respond to those as a whole,
I'd appreciate it.
The first question, given these overspends, can you reassure the Executive of the measures
that will be implemented to ensure financial sustainability and minimise further increases
while ensuring high-quality support for our vulnerable residents with mental health needs?
Secondly, can you also tell us which overspends stem from external pressures
as opposed to those areas where earlier intervention could have taken place?
And finally, how does expenditure here in Lincolnshire compare to the national picture?
Thank you.
So if I can respond to those questions.
So I think it's worth noting that at the point where I arrived in Lincolnshire just over 18 months
to put learning disability and mental health together, so we tended as a service to look
at the two as one issue, and it became very clear very soon after I had arrived that we
had a problem in terms of the budget there.
At the time, that was a problem more in the learning disability area rather than the mental
health area, and I therefore instigated a programme of work within a matter of weeks of arriving
in Lincolnshire, which was very much focused on the learning disability area, and that has done
a significant amount of work, and we have a matter where Lincolnshire is from a mental health
perspective compared to other authorities.
We have previously, we had lots of data comparing where we were from a working-age adult, which
tends to quickly interrogate the data in terms of mental health specifically.
We now have that clearer data.
So in answer to your questions, Councillor Clegg, particularly associated with a sort of
post-COVID world, in part, and partly in response to that, the NHS are people who had
a need but perhaps were being overlooked before.
So there's a combination of, there's very definitely a growth in demand, but also our NHS colleagues
by spending more on more of the demand that already existed but wasn't being addressed.
However, it has become clear as we've looked at the benchmarking data that the rate of increase
in Lincolnshire has been quite a lot faster than it has been.
We've been in a position five years ago of being pretty typical of the country as a whole.
Our level of spend is now much more like inner city Manchester health expenditure, and that
is not what you would expect to find.
And that does suggest that there are some local issues that have been driving this.
We've been looking at this quite carefully over the last few months.
We've identified there is some evidence that the service which is delivered on more care
is generally bad for people.
We're not in a position where more of a good thing is a better thing, more of a good thing
is actually a worse thing.
So there's some evidence of the longevity of it, and I'd say it's very clear that this
is an issue going back at least five years.
We are now being much more active in supporting the social work practice of the staff, is to
ensure that people really do need the care that is being prescribed for them.
And we are developing a much stronger forecasting of demand so that we can have a better quality
of life, but also to reduce the pressure on the budget for the council.
So there's a range of steps that are in place.
Thank you, Martin, for that very thorough explanation.
So I take from it that moving forward, we will be able to sort of maintain financial sustainability
and minimize future increases for the reasons you've stated, and obviously at the same time.
Thank you.
Thank you, Martin.
Thank you, Councillor Clegg.
Any other questions from the executive, please?
I'll take that as a no.
Can I have a proposal then for the recommendations on pages 11 and 12?
Councillor Caton.
And a seconder.
Councillor Chain.
Thank you.
Can I, therefore, have a vote on these recommendations?
That's carried.
That's carried.
Thank you.
Michelle, I'd like to thank you for your report as well.
That's very good and very thorough.
Okay, item six, then, on the agenda is re-procurement of the occupational health contract.
Over to Tony.
Where are you?
There you are.
Thank you, Leader.
Good afternoon.
Well, good morning, nearly afternoon, everybody.
Okay, so the report you have before you is around the re-procurement of the occupational health contract for the council.
You'll note that the contract expires on the 31st of March next year, and we don't have any further options to extend.
And so, essentially, we need to go out to re-procurement.
So, the paper primarily is around the approval of the re-procurement, and also the delegation of the authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Resources,
and the commission with the Executive Council for Resources, Councillor Caton.
So, just very briefly, in terms of any other alternatives that we could have considered, technically, not really alternatives,
but we would have been doing nothing, which would have disabled us, I would have thought, quite significantly as an organisation,
or insourcing, which we don't really have the expertise as an organisation to do that.
So, the reason we need the occupational health contract, really, is primarily to make sure we comply with our legal obligations,
those primarily being Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Equality Act 2010.
As you will imagine, it includes a whole host of different types of requirements,
whether that be medical assessments, health surveillance, whether it's substances hazardous to health,
where are there employees in things like Lynx Lab, whether it's ill-health retirement applications,
and just general medical evaluations, alongside just other areas around fitness for duty,
and the management of long-term sickness absence, and such like.
In the last financial year, the Council spent in the region of around £271,000 for the occupational health,
and generally, we tend to fall within that sort of budget, because some of it is recharged to our schools.
What we are proposing as part of the new contract, once we go out to tender,
is that we look at more efficient ways in terms of the way that we offer things like appointments,
and such like, so we can reduce travel time and costs like that,
as well as perhaps being a bit more selective when it comes to some of the more optional,
and whether or not they offer value for money in terms of that.
What I'm going to do now is going to hand over to my colleague, Leanne,
who's going to sort of talk about the commercial side.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Leanne and Tony.
Cause clauses, that's not easy to say, is it?
Thank you for the report.
I now hand over to Councillor Roberts from the OSMB.
Thank you, Leanne.
Excuse me.
The board considered the report, and following a constructive discussion,
we unanimously endorsed the report and its recommendations.
Several important points were raised during our debate.
On the procurement strategy, members asked why the council had opted
to use the Eastern Shire Purchasing Organization framework,
rather than going out to open tender.
There's some suggesting this could have encouraged more local providers to bid.
Officers explained that a prior information notice had been issued to test the market interest,
and following this, the ESPO framework was identified as a most cost-effective and flexible route,
while still allowing for subcontracting opportunities that could support Lincolnshire-based organizations.
Officers also clarified that in rural areas such as Lincolnshire,
most occupational health professionals tend to operate with larger organizations.
This means that contracting directly with individuals is often unviable.
On service delivery, members reflected on past delays,
particularly with medical checks for fire and rescue staff,
and asked how these issues could be addressed.
Officers confirmed that under the new contract,
the number of key performance indicators would be significantly reduced from 40 to 15,
with a sharper focus on timelines and delivery standards.
We also heard about plans to improve clinical facilities
and the introduction of virtual consultations to increase flexibility and reduce delays.
Members raised questions about the clinical effectiveness of virtual appointments
in an occupational health context.
Officers advised that these are increasingly the preferred method,
especially in the fire and rescue service,
as most assessments are compensation-based and not requiring physical examination.
Continency planning was also another area aboard welcome confirmation
that the contract includes a partial termination clause
and fallback mechanism, such as use of alternative frameworks
or in-house operations if needed.
Suppliers will also be required to test their business continuity plans annually.
Finally, we discussed equality and fairness in contract delivery.
Members asked how the Council would comply with the Equality Act 2010,
while ensuring fairness across the workforce.
Officers confirmed the service will support reasonable adjustment for disabled employees,
consistent with the Council's responsibilities
under the public sector equalities duty.
In summary, the Board was satisfied with the proposed approach
and welcome the steps being taken to improve service quality,
resilience and accessibility.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Roberts.
I'm glad that the oversight and scrutiny membership board
noted the slight issue about having Zoom and Teams meetings,
virtual meetings.
Having been through occupational health myself with two, well now new knees,
I do think that we need to consider in-person meetings being scooped up
in that occupational health.
So are there any questions from the other executives?
Councillor Catton.
Thank you very much.
I just want a clarification within the contract that are there any costs related
to switching off without claw?
Councillor Kelly.
Apologies.
I may have missed it, but what's the duration of the contract
and is there price...
Anyone else?
So effectively, then, it's not, but it's kind of a pay-as-you-go type of thing.
When you need something, you get it.
And due to other contracts that we've been dealing with since we think they've
started to come through a little bit now, which is encouraging to see.
And any further contracts that come up, I'd encourage that.
I'd continue to encourage that view and approach.
Thank you.
So I invite the executive to vote on this, then.
It's on page 73, again, the recommendations 1 and 2.
Hopefully you've got them in front of you.
Can I have a proposer and seconder for these?
Councillor McGonagall will propose.
And Councillor Gibson, too, second.
And can I have a vote?
All those in favour?
Carried.
That's carried.
Thank you.
And finally, but not least, item 7.
Feedback on local government reorganisation proposals.
Thank you very much, Leanne.
Tony.
Well, Debbie.
Yes, I'll hand over to Claire.
Thank you.
Thank you, Lida.
And good morning, meeting.
So the report to executive provides the meeting with a summary of the local government reorganisation
process to date.
And following feedback from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government,
asks for agreement and support in the development of one business case proposal for Lincolnshire
for submission on the 28th of November of this year.
So just by way of background, on 5th of February 2025, the Minister of State wrote to the leaders
of Lincolnshire County Council, the City, Districts and Borough Councils, North and Northeast
Lincolnshire Councils, formally inviting them to submit proposals for a single tier of local
government for the area.
The letter set out the statutory basis for the invitation and also the criteria against which the proposals would be considered.
A proposal should seek to achieve for the whole of the greater Lincolnshire area concerned in the establishment of a single tier of local government.
Unitary local government must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and also withstand financial shocks.
Unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens.
So our children's, our adults and our health care systems.
The proposal should show how councils in the area have sought to work together in coming to a view that meets local needs and is informed by local views.
That new unitary structures must support devolution arrangements.
And finally, that new unitary structures should enable stronger community engagement and also deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.
Lincolnshire County Councils submitted an interim plan with two options for a single tier of local government following debate at full council on the 21st of March this year.
Feedback has been received by the Greater Lincolnshire Chief Execs from MHCLG.
This was on the 3rd of June.
And whilst the feedback has not requested that any of the interim plans submitted and put forward are withdrawn,
there are clear expectations that local authorities in the Lincolnshire area continue to work together to ensure effective collaboration across all councils
and to encourage the continuation of building strong relationships and also agree in ways of working,
including around effective data sharing and also the assumptions that the business case proposals will be based upon.
So the paper is asking that the executive please consider the two options submitted to government on the 21st of March for a single tier of local government for Lincolnshire
and also that the executive agrees to take one option forward in the development of a single business case proposal for Lincolnshire.
Thank you, Leader.
Thank you, Claire.
I now ask Councillor Roberts to give his report from our assembly.
Thank you, Leader.
At our meeting, we received a detailed presentation from offices and following a wide-ranging and considered debate,
the board agreed to endorse the report and in particular to support the recommendation of adopting option one.
A number of key points were raised during the discussion.
First, on the clarity of the two options presented,
some members felt that neither quite captured Lincolnshire's unique geography or the need of its communities or those of our neighbours.
There were also questions around the report's interpretation of Cota Minocity.
Officers explained that alignment was assessed not just by council boundaries but in relation to public services like health, policing and fire.
We were also reminded that the government's 500,000 population benchmark is not an absolute rule.
Members also raised concerns about governance, particularly where a single Lincolnshire Wild Authority might feel too large or remote for residents.
Officers gave assurances that local voice and representation will be at the heart of the engagement plans,
with town and parish councils playing a key role.
On service delivery, the board stressed the importance of protecting critical services,
particularly in adult social care, children's services, highways, fire and rescue.
Officers confirmed that option one offered the best opportunity to retain integrated delivery and organisation resilience,
avoiding the disaggregation challenges seen elsewhere.
The need to safeguard the stability of the fire and rescue service is specifically acknowledged.
Financially, efficiency was another area of interest.
Members were keen to understand what levels of savings might be achieved through changes to staffing, assets or contracts.
Officers confirmed these would be detailed fully in the final business case.
We also touched on the collaboration and data sharing.
Officers confirmed that frameworks have been developed to ensure joint working with all local authorities,
including those not currently pursuing reorganisation.
Members raised concerns about the potential for a democratic deficit if district councils were abolished.
Officers confirmed that strengthening the role of town and parish councils is a key strand of the proposals,
and that a work stream is already underway.
This is also being explored with a cross-party member working group established by Council in May.
Finally, on public engagement,
offices provided reassurance that a countrywide inclusive process is being planned,
with a specific focus on reaching rural areas involving communities in shaping local governance models.
In summary,
the board was supportive of option one,
while strongly emphasising that ongoing clarity,
robust public engagement,
and protection of the services must guide the next phase of the work ahead
of the full business case being developed for the submission in November.
Thank you.
Thank you,
Councillor Roberts,
and please pass on my thanks to the overview and scrutiny management board and all the members on it
for the reports that have come in today and the efforts and work that's been done on that.
Can I just,
for clarity,
ask you to explain what option one is,
or would you like me to explain what option one is?
Leader,
I think you,
but can you,
I have got it,
but I think.
No,
that's fine.
Option one is known as the continuity option.
It's basically keeping the same footprint as Linkashire County Council is at the moment.
The other option two was splitting it over to the East Coast.
So,
I just wanted to clarify that so that there is no confusion going forward from your report
and from the decision that we have to make today.
So,
I now invite questions from the executive.
You don't have to.
Thank you,
Thank you,
Chairman.
It's more of a comment,
really,
and it's regarding something that Councillor Roberts said,
his members,
to do with the sort of services that are provided.
And I'm thinking here in terms of our relationship with the introspect.
And it's a shame,
as I mentioned earlier,
with regards to the 10-year plan,
that it actually states aligning ICB,
that's integrated care board boundaries,
with strategic authorities.
And it's just a shame that the current proposed clustering,
which is to cluster Linkashire ICB with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire,
would actually undermine this for Lincolnshire.
And as the Mayor for Greater Linkashire has already written to the Secretary of State
to ask him to reconsider this,
it doesn't sound as if he has done.
I am,
however,
encouraged to know in the 10-year plan that
in due course,
we might come back to where we are now.
It's just a shame we don't stay where we are now,
as it makes sense,
if that makes sense.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Clegg.
Any other questions?
Councillor Kelly.
Thank you, Leader.
It's more of a comment, really.
And it's just reinforcing the points raised by the OSMB.
Councillor Gibson.
Thank you, Chairman.
If there's no other comments from the Exec,
I'll carry on.
Can I just say thank you to Claire for the report
and presenting that to us here.
And thank you to OSMB for your comments
and yourself as Chairman presenting here today.
The report before us, Chairman,
is asking us to decide for the two options,
this model around whichever option that is.
I've been listening to OSMB and the working group,
listening to comments around the County Council.
This decision that we are about to make and put forward
or whatever happens with local reorganisation
is probably a decision we're going to make in this council
because it will affect every single person
that lives in Lincolnshire.
The biggest concern is splitting up our adult services,
children's services, file and rescue.
They're the three biggest areas that I'm listening to.
So any split in those services,
if you split it across the middle and halve them,
is invariably going to lead to a reduction in that service
because you can't split it in half and get to the same position.
That probably is the key point for me
to suggest that we should be going forward with option one, Chairman.
And for myself, I will move that we recommend option one
to the executive to vote on today.
Thank you, Councillor Gibson.
Or do I need a proposal?
Are you seconder?
Seconder.
Do I have a seconder for that proposal?
I'm happy to second that, Chairman.
Councillor Clegg, thank you very much.
So I invite the executive to...
I said it wrong last time.
What is it you want me to say?
Can I vote...
So can we support...
Can I have a vote on supporting Councillor Gibson's recommendations?
All those in favour is what I was trying to remember.
All those in favour.
That's carried.
Thank you.
So that is the council recommending option one,
which is the continuity option,
which is the same for Prince's Lincolnshire County Council.
And I just completely support
Councillor Gibson's comments there.
Why mess with something that's excellent,
is what I would say.
Thank you.
Well, being that there's no other business for today,
I now close the meeting.
Thank you all very much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.