Agenda item

Attached to this agenda is an introduction to scrutiny. The terms of reference for this committee, agreed by both annual councils, is laid out below (extract from original report).

There will be full training for councillors on scrutiny matters, in November, which will be delivered by the Local Government Association. At this joint scrutiny meeting, councillors are encouraged to ask questions on the role of scrutiny and also to consider practical ways of supporting the work of the joint committee, within the terms of reference of the committee.

Joint Scrutiny Committee

1.    Council is invited to consider the establishment of a joint scrutiny committee to meet at least twice a year to review a number of standing items that affect both councils as set out below:

·           Performance reviews of joint contracts

·           Other issues that affect both councils jointly

2.    Joint Scrutiny may meet on additional occasions if the need arises.

3.    The purpose of a joint scrutiny committee is to ensure a consistent approach, avoid duplication of resources and improve joint working between both councils. This committee will only seek to address matters which are being progressed across both councils.

4.    The creation of a joint scrutiny committee meeting initially twice a year, with an option of increasing joint meetings as we go forward, would reduce the number of reports being written and the number of evening meetings staff have to attend and would enable contractors to attend just one meeting a year. Running joint meetings in addition to those already scheduled at each council would have resource implications in terms of staff capacity. Officers therefore propose a reduction in the number of Vale scrutiny committee meetings by two.

5.    The information below sets out the proposed membership of the joint committee, arrangements for the location and regularity of meetings, the proposed chairing arrangements and the proposed terms of reference.

Membership

·           Five councillors from Vale of White Horse District Council (not cabinet members); and

·           Five councillors from South Oxfordshire District Council (not cabinet members).

·           Politically balanced in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. (Politically balanced by council, not necessarily across both councils).

·           Substitutes from the political groups (not cabinet members).

Quorum

Four members, two from each council.

Regularity of meetings

At least two per year, with additional meetings on an ad hoc basis.

Location of meetings: At the councils’ offices in Milton Park.

Chairmanship

·           The committee will be co-chaired (one from each council) and the person presiding at any meeting will alternate between the two councils. These shall be non ruling group and non Cabinet members and their will be no vice chair.

Terms of reference

·           to monitor the performance of contractors delivering joint contracts;

·           to consider any matter affecting both areas or their inhabitants jointly (subject to the agreement of the chairmen of each council’s scrutiny committee).

The establishment of a joint scrutiny committee will not impact upon the ability of each council’s scrutiny committee to review specific issues covered by the above terms of reference – for example a specific issue relating to a contract.

Scrutiny Call-in

The right to call in decisions, in line with the council’s constitution, will remain with the district Scrutiny committee, but the chairman of this committee may choose to refer it to the joint committee.

If agreed officers will make the necessary changes to the council’s constitution to reflect the above.

It was noted that the terms of reference for the joint committee had been agreed by both full councils in May 2015, however, there were some matters which would need to be resolved as part of the current constitution review. These included the call-in procedures and the time guillotine for meetings. In the meantime, the committee agreed to adopt the Vale’s guillotine rules for Scrutiny, which can be found in the currently published version of the Vale’s constitution.

Members of the committee were advised to keep up to date with the current Cabinet work programmes, in case there were items which they wished to come to Scrutiny.

RESOLVED: to review the South and Vale Citizens’ Advice Bureaux and the Wantage Independent Advice Centre in March/April next year prior to grant agreement.