The Cabinet of Newham Council met on Thursday 29 May 2025 to discuss the Executive Response to the Juniper Ventures Call In. The meeting resulted in the approval of the Executive Response, which included noting recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, agreeing the executive response to call-in resolutions, and confirming an officer key decision regarding Juniper Ventures' terms and conditions.

Executive Response to Juniper Ventures Call In

The Cabinet considered the Executive Response to the call-in of an Officer Key Decision made on 15 April 2025 concerning Juniper Ventures' proposals on annual leave and sickness terms and conditions. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had previously called in this decision, making eight recommendations and referring the matter back to Cabinet for reconsideration.

Councillor Hudson, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, presented the committee's recommendations, emphasising that the process was about government, fiscal stewardship and responsibility rather than politics. He noted that while many recommendations were accepted, the key ones were not. He highlighted concerns about business plans for council subsidiaries, stating that they should be approved by Cabinet before the main council budget is set, and expressed disappointment that this recommendation was not accepted. Councillor Hudson also stressed the importance of receiving accurate and comprehensive information for scrutiny, referencing an adjourned meeting due to insufficient information. He further raised concerns about the creation of a two-tier workforce and the potential burden on families.

Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Lead for Health and Adult Social Care, presented the Executive Response. He acknowledged the value of scrutiny and the current financial challenges. Regarding the recommendation for all subsidiary business plans to be approved by Cabinet before the main budget setting, the Executive stated that while they require continual assurance on all local authority trading companies (LATCOs), they were not accepting the resolution in its substantive form. The report noted that shifting the timetable for business plan sign-off would be problematic due to the budget setting cycle.

The Cabinet agreed to the Executive Response, which included:

• Noting the recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee's call-in.
• Agreeing the Executive Response to the call-in resolutions.
• Confirming the Officer Key Decision of 15 April 2025 regarding Juniper Ventures' proposals on annual leave and sickness terms and conditions.
• Noting that matters raised in exempt Appendix 21 would be detailed clearly as part of the Juniper Ventures Business Plan to be presented to Cabinet.

During the discussion, Councillor Sarah Jane Ruiz, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education & Sustainable Transport, spoke about school meals funding. She highlighted that in Newham, all providers are already required to pay the London Living Wage and be part of the local government pension scheme, a condition that is not consistently met in other boroughs. She also discussed the changes to terms and conditions at Juniper Ventures, stating that without these changes, the company might not have survived due to pressures on food and labour costs.

The meeting also touched upon the broader economic climate and its impact on local authorities, with Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE emphasising the administration's commitment to fairness and tackling inequality. The Cabinet also noted that the Constitutional Review Working Group would be reviewing government frameworks for externalised companies and LATCOs.

The discussion on recommendation three, Planning for Future Risk, was held in private session due to its exempt nature. Upon returning to public session, the Cabinet noted that matters raised in exempt Appendix 21 would be detailed clearly as part of the Juniper Ventures Business Plan.