Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and details of any Councillor (or co-optee substitute) nominated to attend this meeting in place of a member of this Committee.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Hartnett and Norton.

To invite Councillors to declare any interest they may have in items on the Agenda and any Party Whip.

There were no declarations of interest or of any party whip.

To confirm the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as a correct record.

(Minutes attached)

Councillor Banks requested that the minutes of the previous meeting be amended to include her apologies which had been accidentally omitted.  This request was approved by the Chair.

RESOLVED that

1)         Councillor Banks’ apologies be recorded in the minutes for the meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday the 28th of May; and

2)         the minutes of the meeting held on the 28th of May be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To note the contents of the Overview and Scrutiny Actions List.

(Report attached)

Officers explained that Action 6 on the Actions List related to a scoping document for a proposed scrutiny exercise to investigate the Council’s presentation of information relating to the Council’s corporate priorities, which was submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the previous year.  Members agreed that this scoping document should be removed from the Committee’s Work Programme and Actions List.  Instead, Members agreed to reconsider whether there was a need for such a review following consideration of the quarterly performance and budgetary reports by the Committee.   

Members were informed that, as requested at the previous meeting, the possibility of visiting Westminster to observe proceedings during a Select Committee meeting had been investigated.  The Chair advised Members that due to limited Member availability and the summer recess of Parliament, this visit was to be postponed until the autumn. 

RESOLVED that

the Actions List be noted.

To consider whether any Key Decisions of the Executive Committee’s most recent meeting(s) should be subject to call-in and also to consider whether any items on the Forward Plan require pre-scrutiny.

(No separate report).

Members were informed that the Forward Plan was consistently provided for consideration at meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee but that pre-scrutiny had not had a prominent role in the scrutiny process at the Council in the previous year.  This standard item on the Committee’s agenda had therefore been altered to ensure that Members had an appropriate opportunity to consider options for pre-scrutiny.

Officers informed Members that the performance update on the business centres, discussed at the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, was due to be reported to the Executive Committee on Wednesday the 29th October 2008.  Therefore, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be considering the potential need for scrutiny of the business centres in November 2008.

There were no call-ins and no proposed items for pre-scrutiny.

To consider any scoping documents provided for possible Overview and Scrutiny review.

(Report attached and report to follow)

No direct ward relevance

Officers explained that, as agreed at the previous meeting of the Committee, a meeting had taken place with Councillor Thomas to consider the terms of reference contained within the scoping document for the exercise.  During this meeting Councillor Thomas had requested that the terms of reference be simplified.  This work had subsequently been undertaken by Officers.

Councillor Thomas informed Members that the third sector review would focus on strategic funding relations between the Council and third sector organisations.  Members were informed that the focus of the review would be distinct from the work of the Council’s Grants Panel, which considers, approves and monitors bespoke funding arrangements for individual third sector organisations on a case-by-case basis.  Councillor Thomas explained that the third sector review would focus specifically on the Council’s overarching arrangements for awarding grants and donations to third sector organisations.

The Membership for the Third Sector Task and Finish Group was discussed.  Members agreed that the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee would appoint Members to the Group, and to all subsequent scrutiny groups launched during the year.  Councillor Thomas was appointed to Chair the exercise and Councillor Pearce was approved as a Member.  Members agreed that three further Members would be appointed to the Group. 

Officers explained that Members would need to remain mindful of the potential for conflicts of interest when undertaking this exercise.  Members were informed that this would not apply if the review retained an overarching scope but that conflicts of interest could arise for certain Members if the review focused on any particular third sector organisations.

RESOLVED that

1.            a further objective, “to investigate the sustainability of Council funding for third sector organisations in the future” be added to the terms of reference for the exercise;

2.            the third sector task and finish review have a deadline of December 2008; and

3.            the terms of reference for the third sector task and finish review be approved.

To receive an update on the main points raised during the Overview and Scrutiny Member Training event that took place on Thursday the 5th of June 2008.

(Report attached)

Officers explained that this item had been included on the agenda to provide Members with an opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of the ‘Introduction to Scrutiny’ training provided on Thursday the 5th June 2008.  Members were informed that in particular the potential for external scrutiny work had been identified during the training as an area that could be further developed at the Council.

Members discussed the recent suspension of the 57/58 First bus route in the town and the impact on people visiting the Alexandra Hospital.  Members noted that this might be a suitable subject for external scrutiny and that it might be useful to invite representatives of First buses to attend a meeting of the Committee to explain their actions further.  Members agreed to discuss the suitability of this subject for scrutiny during the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme Planning Afternoon on Friday the 20th June.

Members questioned why it was not possible for people to apply for a bus pass using the Council’s website.  Officers undertook to provide further information about this subject for the consideration of Members.

There were no referrals.

Officers explained that the Council was no longer obliged to publish the Council’s Corporate Performance Plan.  The Service Plans, forming part of the planning stages for the Corporate Performance Plan, would therefore not need to be prepared for Member consideration during the year.  Consequently, Members were informed that the Service Plans, scheduled to be considered by the Committee on Wednesday the 10th October 2008, were unlikely to be made available.

“That, under S.100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter(s) on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs (to be specified) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act”.