The City Solicitor will submit Document “X” which provides Members with details of changes that could be made to the Constitution, by combining the Regeneration and Economy and Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committees, for recommendation to Council if approved.  The changes arise from the need to make savings in the budget of Legal and Democratic Services for 2018/19.

Recommended-

That the Committee consider the suggested changes to the Constitution as described in the report. If the Committee wish to recommend adoption of the merger of the Committees it will form a recommendation to Council as an amendment to the Constitution.

                                                            (Michael Bowness – 01274 435928)

The City Solicitor submitted Document “X” which provided Members with details of changes that could be made to the Constitution, by combining the Regeneration and Economy and Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committees, for recommendation to Council if approved.  The changes arose from the need to make savings in the budget of Legal and Democratic Services for 2018/19.

The Chair of the Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee attended the meeting and spoke about the concerns he had about the two committee’s merging which included that:

·         The Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee had an extremely heavy workload; there were a number of items that still needed to be scheduled in.

·         Concerned that items would get missed if the Committees were combined.

·         There was no overlap in the work of the two Committees.

·         Alternative methods of Scrutiny were already being undertaken by Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

A Member of the Committee acknowledged the concerns raised by the Chair of the Environment  and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee and spoke about the success of the merger of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committees.  She also reported that there was an overlap with Health and Social Care and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees who recently had a joint meeting. She asked the Interim City Solicitor on whether he could give an assurance that the merger of the two Committees would be successful.

In response the Interim City Solicitor reported that the Chair of the newly formed Committee would need to liaise with portfolio holders and become more proactive in linking priorities with the Council’s Corporate Plan, helping scrutiny to become proactive rather than reactive; looking at policies before they are submitted to Executive would be one example. As well as looking at other inquiry methods to support and add value to the scrutiny process rather than being tied in formal Committees.

A Member stressed that the heavy workload of the Committees had to be managed but it was vital to look at the quality of scrutiny rather than the number of Committees.

Concerns were raised by a Member about the merger of the two Committees and how the workload of Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be managed.

The Chair emphasised that the proposed merger of the Committees was an opportunity for the Council to do things differently and start prioritising work programmes. His observation of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee was that it had not changed from the old Committee Structure and took reports on everything rather than prioritising; there was a culture within scrutiny of taking regular progress reports; the Council had less resources and things had to be undertaken differently and had to work smarter.

The Chair asked the Interim City Solicitor whether senior officers would be providing advice and support to the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees and Scrutiny Leads on doing things differently, such as the use of other inquiry methods and prioritising work programmes preventing Scrutiny Committees from operating similar to the old Committee Structure.

The Chair also emphasised that savings needed to be made in Legal and Democratic Services as part of the budget decision that went through full Council.  He reported that Committee Secretariat were already under a great deal of pressure with continued increase in committee workloads as well as dealing with an increase in school appeals; if this saving was not agreed, savings would have to be made elsewhere.

The Interim City Solicitor confirmed that the reduction in Scrutiny Committee’s would not lead to reduction in Scrutiny Officers, reducing the workload would improve the quality of scrutiny; part of this merger was that things had to change and discussions would take place with officers and the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Resolved-

That the merger of the Regeneration and Economy and Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee be approved with the Terms of Reference proposed in Appendix A to Document “X” and, that this decision be recommended to Council as an amendment to the Constitution.

Action:           Interim City Solicitor