Agenda item

To consider the draft contents of the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2016/17 and to identify any changes to make to this report prior to its presentation at the meeting of Council due to take place on 24th April 2017.

(Draft report attached)

The Chair introduced the Committee’s Annual Report and said she felt the Committee had had another successful year.  In particular the activities of the two Working Groups had been proved extremely useful.  Throughout the year the Committee had received a number of presentations and reports including on such topics as the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan and Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities.  The Committee had also commenced its first piece of joint scrutiny work with Bromsgrove District Council in response to the Staff Survey and it was hoped that joint working would continue between the two Councils in the future where appropriate. 

The Joint Increasing Physical Activity Task Group, hosted by Worcestershire County Council, had been completed at the start of the year followed by the Committee’s own Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group in March 2017.  Progress on all the recommendations from the Committee’s work had, as usual, been monitored through the Recommendation Tracker and the Crime and Disorder Panel had received an update on the work of the North Worcestershire Crime and Disorder Partnership.  Regular updates had also been received by the Committee from the Council’s representatives on both the West Midlands Combined Authority Scrutiny Committee and the Worcestershire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair highlighted the work of the Provision of Support Networks for the LGB&T Community Task Group and the community awards received by Members and Officers in recognition of this work.  Members noted that this had been a much appreciated and well received report and had made a real difference to the community.  The Committee also acknowledged that it had been a privilege to receive nominations for these awards from the local Redditch LGB&T Community Group and for a representative of Stonewall to attend a meeting of Council to help present the awards.

Members were given an opportunity to comment on the report and Councillor Gay Hopkins suggested that an update be provided on the work of the Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch’s Taxi Fleet Short, Sharp Review.  It was agreed that this would be included within the Annual Report.

Following consideration of the Annual Report the Chair invited Councillor Jenny Wheeler, the Council’s representative on the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to provide a brief update of its work for inclusion in the annual report.  As part of this Councillor Wheeler provided background information in respect of the establishment of the WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the meetings which had been held over the year. 

Councillor Wheeler also provided details about the Draft Order which would come into effect on 8th May 2017.  This highlighted that the Chair must be an appropriate person and could not of the same political party as the Mayor.  It was noted that non-constituent members did not have an automatic vote but could be given one by resolution of the WMCA Board.  Members were encouraged to lobby the Leader, who sat on the Board, to ensure that this vote was given to the non-constituent members.

In respect of the work of the WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee four “select” committees had been established to look at key areas.  It was noted that following the Order coming into effect these would need to be renamed Task and Finish Groups.  The areas covered by these groups were:

·                Mental Health (of which Councillor Wheeler was a member).

·                Land

·                Productivity

·                Budget

The WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee hoped to create a database as a central resource of scrutiny work that had already been carried out by constituent and non-constituent members.  This could help to limit duplication and could be a useful resource.  A key future role of the WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be to hold the Mayor to account and this would be done at least twice a year with the potential to for the Mayor to attend further meetings if necessary.

Concerns had been raised around Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) being actively involved with the WMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Currently of the three LEPs in the area one had chosen not to appoint a representative to the Committee.  There was one dedicated Scrutiny Officer (which was a requirement) who had been seconded for 15 months from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council for two days a week. 

During consideration of the annual report the Chair referred Members to the Committee’s previous discussions in respect of changing the day of the Committee to a Thursday in order to carry out more effective pre-scrutiny work.  Officers confirmed that this would be feasible on all but two occasions; one where a presentation from an outside organisation had already been arranged and the other in respect of the budget setting process prior to consideration of the budget at full Council in February.

Members were asked to inform Officers of any further changes to the annual report prior to it being considered at Council on 24th April.   The Chair concluded the item by thanking both Members and Officers for their hard work and commitment throughout the year. 

RESOLVED that

1)        the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s meetings in 2017/18 take place on a Thursday evening with exception of the meetings due to take place in July 2017 and February 2018; and

2)        subject to the amendments detailed in the preamble above the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Annual Report 2016/17 be approved.