Agenda item

As the final meeting of the current municipal year, the report assisted Councillors to take stock of the work done during the municipal year and reflect on the experience.  The Committee was also encouraged to begin to think about the scrutiny work programme for the forthcoming municipal year.

The report provided the committee with:

·       A summary of the work of the Committee and the overall scrutiny work programme (including progress of the various Panels and Working Groups)

·       Feedback on the performance of scrutiny and the annual councillor survey

·       A summary of improvement activities carried out

·       A list of outstanding work that may be carried over

·       The Cabinet forward plan for opportunities for pre-decision scrutiny.

Members were invited to give views about the work programme and experience of scrutiny to help evaluate how well things have worked and identify areas for improvement. The committee considered the information provided and the following issues were raised during discussion:

·       Transformation of Adult Social Services Panel – the convener of the Panel, Councillor Uta Clay, referred to the work of the Panel over the last 18 months, and its concluding letter to the Cabinet Member for Adults & Vulnerable People which will be presented to the committee.

·       Councillor Participation in Scrutiny – the committee felt that more councillors should be involved in scrutiny. It was noted that the % of backbench councillors actively involved over the last year was 79% (49 out of 62).

·       Pre-decision scrutiny – committee members shared experiences of undertaking pre-decision scrutiny and some concern about the effectiveness of the current process. Specific concerns centred on the timescales provided for scrutiny and how Cabinet responds to views. The recent pre-decision scrutiny of the School Music Service was cited as an example. Some clarity was sought from members about the purpose of pre-decision scrutiny and the expectations on Cabinet in response to pre-decision scrutiny concerns / recommendations. It was felt that a deferral of cabinet decision may be appropriate to fully consider the views of scrutiny.

The committee noted further information about the upcoming cabinet report on ‘Castle Square – Development and Public Realm Opportunity’ and considered whether a request for pre-decision scrutiny should be made. There was some concern about the proposal to market the site in response to developer interest, as an important public space.

The chair reminded committee members about the annual scrutiny work planning conference which was being held on 12 May. She stated that the chair of the Audit Committee and the lay members of the Standards Committee had also been invited to the conference to provide an independent / public perspective on future work.

RESOLVED that:

1)       the Terms of Reference of the Tackling Poverty Scrutiny Inquiry be endorsed;

2)       Pre-decision Scrutiny on the upcoming Cabinet report on ‘Castle Square –Development and Public Realm Opportunity’ (listed in the Cabinet Forward Plan for 16 June) be requested – a meeting of the Scrutiny Programme Committee to be arranged at the earliest possible opportunity; and

3)       a meeting be arranged between the chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee and relevant Cabinet Member to discuss the pre-decision scrutiny process and possible improvements.