ITEM CH5(b)CHILDREN’S SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – 14 MARCH 2006Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 10.00 am and finishing at 12.30 pm Present: Voting
Members: Councillor
Jean Fooks Officers: Whole of meeting: J. Leverton and D. Mitchell (Chief Executive’s Office); S. Morris (Children, Young People & Families).
By
Invitation:
The
Scrutiny Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations
contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting and agreed as set
out below. Copies of the agenda and reports are attached to the signed
Minutes. (Agenda Item 4) On 28 February the Committee considered a report on the White Paper: Higher Standards Better schools for All (CH11) which gave an overview of the contents of the White Paper, with a particular focus on those proposals which indicated a change in the role of local authorities. One main purpose of that report was to provide a basis for the Cabinet to consider how to respond to the three motions relating to the White Paper (two from Councillor Jean Fooks, one from Councillor Val Smith) which the Council on 10 January had referred to the Cabinet, via this Committee, to advise the Council at its 4 April meeting. The Education and Inspections Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 February and the Committee therefore decided to convene this special meeting to consider what comments to make on the three motions in the light of the Bill’s provisions, with a request to the Cabinet not to finalise its advice to the Council until its 21 March meeting, so that it might take into account the Committee’s advice. Ms Judith Morris, had been invited to attend in order to give advice on the changes in the Bill and answer any questions that members might wish to ask. Having discussed the Bill generally, the Committee looked in detail at the three motions relating to the White Paper, in the light of the provisions of the Education and Inspection Bill. In the course of discussion the proposers of the respective motions indicated what they had in mind to propose to the Council (the amended or substituted wording) as indicated below by bold italic and strikethrough in the table. The Committee’s comments took account of these indications. Following a lengthy debate, the Committee AGREED to thank the Cabinet for deferring consideration of the item and put forward the advice set out in the table (attached as Annex 1 (download as .doc file) to the signed minutes) to the Cabinet.
in the Chair Date
of signing 2006
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