Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services enabling the Panel to review their current programme of studies and plan their work for the forthcoming year.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which provided Members with an opportunity to establish their work priorities for 2013/14. Their attention was drawn to the functions and responsibilities of the Corporate Governance and Employment Panels and the service areas which had been allocated to each Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

The Panel discussed the membership of its existing working groups and noted that Councillor R Harrison had been appointed to the Corporate Plan Working Group to replace the former vice-chairman. Having thanked Councillor R B Howe for his contribution to the work of the Customer Services Working Group, it was agreed that Councillor R Harrison should be appointed as his replacement. It was also agreed to establish a small team to follow-up on the recommendations arising from the review of the Document Centre and Councillors A H Williams, S Greenall and P D Reeve were appointed for this purpose.

Whilst reviewing the existing programme of studies, the Panel received updates on the work which was being undertaken to develop a new Council Customer Services Strategy and on the discussions which were taking place as a consequence of the review of the Document Centre.

With regard to the recent review of the effectiveness of overview and scrutiny, reference was made to the fact that it had been agreed with the Executive Leader that the scrutiny of policy proposals should take place early in the policy development process. The Panel also endorsed the contents of an Overview and Scrutiny Protocol, which provided a framework for the conduct of Overview and Scrutiny by the Council.

In considering possible future studies, a number of suggestions were made including communications and marketing, shared services for treasury management, the A14 (including the impact of development at the former RAF Wyton airfield site) and Estates. It was suggested that this list should be reviewed at the next meeting. However in the interim and having received a brief update on the current position, the Chairman undertook to raise the issue of the A14 at the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to establish whether there was any potential for a joint study on this matter. Given that there appeared to be little enthusiasm for scrutinising the Local Enterprise Partnership on a co-ordinated Countywide basis, the Chairman also undertook to discuss with the Managing Director the Panel’s engagement with the Partnership.

Other suggestions for future investigation included a review of the high cost services provided by the Council, but it was decided that this might be premature pending the publication of the Executive’s budget plans.  It was also suggested that consideration could be given to the way in which the Council’s objectives were translated into specific actions. However this was considered to fall within the remit of the Corporate Plan Working Group, of which the Chairman and Vice Chairman were both members.

In response to a proposal that the Panel should request a breakdown of statutory and non-statutory services, some Members expressed doubts at the practicalities of achieving this.  With this in mind, it was suggested that there should be a pilot exercise on a small service area to assess the practicalities and value of establishing the extent to which it met or exceeded the minimum statutory requirements. Members were asked to think of suggestions for potential service areas for the next meeting.

In response to a question about the Council’s performance in the collection of Council Tax receipts, the Panel was informed that there were plans to develop a range of performance indicators in relation to this and other the Council service areas. Members were also reminded that although changes in Housing Benefit had been allocated to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being), Members of the Economic Well-Being Panel would be invited to attend and partake in the discussion on this subject matter.

RESOLVED

(a)  that the contents of the report be noted;

(b)  that Councillor R Harrison be appointed as a Member of the Customer Services Working Group;

(c)  that Councillors A H Williams, S Greenall, P D Reeve be appointed to a Working Group for the purpose of following up the Panel’s recommendations on the Document Centre; and

(d)  that the Overview and Scrutiny Protocol as appended to the report now submitted be endorsed.