Agenda item

Members discussed a number of items in relation to the Committee’s Work Programme.

a)           Portfolio Holder Annual Reports

Members discussed arrangements for Portfolio Holder Annual Reports for 2009/10.  They agreed that Portfolio Holders should be invited to deliver answers to questions proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Portfolio Holders could also produce separate reports if they considered it to be necessary.  The Portfolio Holders would be invited to deliver their reports in a style with which they felt comfortable. 

Members discussed the frequency of Portfolio Holder Annual Reports during the year.  However, Members agreed that for Portfolio Holders to report more than once annually might be excessive. 

b)           Budget Strategy and Budget Deficit – Discussion

The Chair advised Members that the Committee was scheduled to consider the Council’s Budget Strategy and Budget Deficit in further detail at a meeting of the Committee on 17 June.  As requested at a previous meeting of the Committee, Officers had circulated copies of the reports relating to the budget strategy and deficit amongst Members of the Group.  This arrangement had been put in place to enable Members to identify whether they would require any further information when discussing the issue at the Committee meeting.  The Chair informed Members that Officers had received no responses from Members regarding this matter.  He suggested, therefore, that the reports should be re-circulated and that consideration of the item be postponed until the following meeting of the Committee on 8 July.

c)            Member Training – Crime and Disorder Scrutiny

Officers advised Members that a conference, focusing upon scrutiny of crime and disorder issues, was scheduled to take place in London on 15 June.  Members were advised that both Officers and Councillors could attend this conference.  A place had already been booked for one of the Overview and Scrutiny Support Officers.

Members were advised that the fee for attending this conference would be £265.00.  Consideration would also need to be given to paying the travel expenses for any Members who attended the conference.  Officers informed Members that each Councillor had a personal allowance of £300.00, which was provided for individual support needs.  In addition to this sum £5,800 was held centrally for Member Development purposes.

Members discussed the costs involved in booking a place on the conference.  They agreed that any Councillor who was interested in attending this conference should not be expected to use all of their personal development funds.  Instead, they agreed that £100.00 should be contributed from individual member’s budgets and the remainder should be paid for using funds from the general Overview and Scrutiny budget.

RESOLVED that

1)           Portfolio Holders be invited to indicate the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to which they would prefer to deliver their Annual Reports;

2)           copies of the reports relating to the Council’s Budget Strategy and budget deficit be circulated for Members’ consideration;

3)           consideration of the Council’s Budget Strategy and deficit be rescheduled for a meeting of the Committee on 8 July;

4)           Councillors Norton and R King would attend the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Conference on 15 June;

5)           the Councillors’ attendance at the conference be funded using £100.00 from each Councillor’s personal support budget, together with funds from the general Overview and Scrutiny budget; and

6)           the Committee’s Work Programme be noted.