Agenda and minutes

None.

(Director of Governance)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

None.

(Director of Governance). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

There were no declarations of interest pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.

To agree the notes of the meeting of the Panel held on 29 September 2014.

The notes of the first meeting of the Task and Finish Panel (29 September 2014) were agreed as a correct record.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the terms of reference of the Panel. These are attached, together with a proposed work programme for the review of the scrutiny panel structure. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Task and Finish Panel noted its terms of reference in relation to the review of the current framework of the Council’s overview and scrutiny panels. The Panel also agreed a work programme for the review, which was to be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting. 

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report..

The Task and Finish Panel received a report on the progress of the review of the operation of the Council’s current overview and scrutiny panel framework.

At the previous request of the Panel, a number of the current chairmen and vice-chairmen of the existing overview and scrutiny panels attended the meeting to present their views in relation to the operation of the current framework. The Chairman reported that Councillor G. Chambers (Chairman of the Planning Services Scrutiny Panel) had wished to attend the meeting, but was unfortunately not now able to be in attendance, and that he would be discussing the operation of the current panel framework and options for any future structure with Councillor Chambers separately. The Panel was also advised of the key findings arising from recent discussions held with service directors and the lead officers for some of the present panels, in terms of the management of the current panel structure.

Councillor S. Murray (Chairman of the Housing Scrutiny Panel) advised the Panel that he considered that the Housing Scrutiny Panel currently operated efficiently, and offered an effective opportunity for focused scrutiny of a discrete service area. Although Councillor Murray accepted that the existing panel framework may have lead to a situation where not all of the Council’s services were subject to regular scrutiny, he felt that the existing arrangement generated member expertise in specific areas and that any alignment of the panel framework with the authority’s management structure, could create unmanageable work programmes for particular panels. Councillor Murray considered that the recent re-allocation of performance monitoring responsibilities to each of the existing panels had helped to provide clearer scrutiny of key areas and that the existing structure helped to promote member engagement and involvement in scrutiny.

Councillor D. Stallan considered that alignment of the panel framework with the management structure might reduce the ability of members to be involved in scrutiny activities, through a consequent reduction in the number of panels. Councillor Stallan believed that the current structure was appropriate for the full involvement of members, given the scrutiny workload, although it was clearly important that all of the Council’s services were able to be subject to scrutiny when necessary, through the allocation of service responsibilities to specific panels. Councillor Stallan felt that the Council should however increase the publicity generated for scrutiny matters, in order to improve focus and public involvement in scrutiny responsibilities, and that members should be regularly reminded of their ability to identify matters and issues for scrutiny consideration. Councillor Angold-Stephens supported the view of Councillor Stallan in this regard, suggesting that many members were not currently actively involved in the scrutiny function.

Councillor Mrs. M. Sartin (Chairman of the Constitution and Member Services Scrutiny Panel) reported that her panel was not really a scrutiny panel in the strictest sense, and that it adopted an approach to its work that was more usually associated with the format and operation of a working group. Councillor Angold-Stephens suggested that as part of any new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Future meetings of the Panel will be held  at 7.00pm on the following dates:

25 November 2014

20 January 2015

The Panel noted that future meetings would be held at 7.00pm on the following dates:

25 November 2014

20 January 2015