Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To elect a Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee, the term of office to run until the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

That Councillor Graham Lawman be elected Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year, ending with the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

Resolved:-

That Councillor Graham Lawman be elected Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year, ending with the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

To elect a Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee, the term of office to run until the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

That Cllr Philip Irwin be elected Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year, ending with the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

Resolved:-

That Cllr Philip Irwin be elected Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year, ending with the annual meeting of the Council in May 2024.

There were no apologies for absence.

RESOLVED that:-

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

It was noted that there had been no requests to speak at this meeting.

The Chair invited those who wished to do so to declare any interests in respect of items on the agenda.

No declarations were made.

The Scrutiny Management Board:-

(a)  Notes the updated list of dates for when items are to be included in the Workplan are;

(b)  Notes the contents of the current Executive Forward Plan;

(c)  Subject to the comments and changes now made, approves the third iteration of the Workplan, to be attached to the minutes of the meeting;

(d)  Notes that the Workplan remains a living document which will be subject to review and may be updated

              i.        to reflect the changing needs and priorities of scrutiny; and

            ii.        following consideration of items requested by the three scrutiny committees and individual councillors.

Reason for Decisions:-

·         To meet the Constitutional requirements for the Scrutiny Management Board to demonstrate its strategic responsibility for the Scrutiny function, its overall responsibility for the direction and management of Scrutiny, and to fulfil its obligation to develop, approve and monitor the Annual Scrutiny Workplan.

Alternative Options Considered:-

·         Not to update the Scrutiny Workplan - however this would not demonstrate the Board’s strategic responsibility or provide the necessary strategic direction to the three Scrutiny Committees.

The Scrutiny Management Board considered the updated annual workplan for 2023/24, as of February 2024 in order to consider, approve its contents and consider any other items it wished to scrutinise, including from the Executive Forward Plan. A copy of the reported, marked as item 7, is filed with the agenda for this meeting.

Arising from discussion, the following principal points were noted:-

     i)        That consideration should be given by officers to providing a greater number of briefings to backbenchers and members of scrutiny to keep them more informed of issues coming before the Council;

    ii)        That an update should be provided on the work of the ICT Working Group and that it should be re-instigated in order that its work could be completed to a conclusion;

   iii)        That the GP Performance and Availability and Homelessness and Rough Sleeping items would need to be delayed from the 12^th March meeting of Health Scrutiny Committee to 14^th May 2024;

   iv)        That NHS Healthchecks be added to the 14^th May Health Scrutiny meeting;

    v)        That school inclusions be added to the work programme for Health Scrutiny in July 2024;

   vi)        Looking ahead to beyond the current municipal year, the Board began to consider items that they may wish to include for consideration beyond the current municipal year, including:-

Corporate Scrutiny

·         Review of Budget Scrutiny Panel process ahead of 2025/26 budget round

·         Council Owned Companies Governance Arrangements

Health Scrutiny

·         Smoking Cessation;

·         Health and Wellbeing Strategy;

·         Suicide Preventation;

·         Sexual health Services

Place and Environment Scrutiny

·         Kier

·         Household Waste Centres

·         Social Housing (Briefing Paper)

Resolved:-

The Scrutiny Management Board:-

(a)  Notes the updated list of dates for when items are to be included in the Workplan are;

(b)  Notes the contents of the current Executive Forward Plan;

(c)  Subject to the comments and changes now made, approves the third iteration of the Workplan;

(d)  Notes that the Workplan remains a living document which will be subject to review and may be updated

              i.        to reflect the changing needs and priorities of scrutiny; and

            ii.        following consideration of items requested by the three scrutiny committees and individual councillors.

Reason for Decisions:-

·         To meet the Constitutional requirements for the Scrutiny Management Board to demonstrate its strategic responsibility for the Scrutiny function, its overall responsibility for the direction and management of Scrutiny, and to fulfil its obligation to develop, approve and monitor the Annual Scrutiny Workplan.

Alternative Options Considered:-

·         Not to update the Scrutiny Workplan - however this would not demonstrate the Board’s strategic responsibility or provide the necessary strategic direction to the three Scrutiny Committees.

There being no further business, the Chair thanked Members and Officers for their attendance and closed the meeting.