Agenda item

10:10

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Keith Mitchell will attend for a discussion on the future work of scrutiny.

The Chief Executive highlighted key issues relevant to the work of the Committee including, partnership working and in particular the CAA process, the Single Conversation and the focus on efficiency in relation to the Corporate Core.

During discussion of the issues raised by the Chief Executive the following points were made:

1) In relation to the Single Conversation there was a need to consider the social and community impacts as well as the physical environment. It was about place shaping and engaging communities, particularly in the most deprived areas.

2) Joint working on health was discussed together with the current financial challenges to be faced. The Chairman commended progress on joint commissioning. Reference was made to the work on breaking the cycle of deprivation and the targeting of funds in the most deprived areas. One member expressed concern at the impact on poorer communities not being targeted.

The Committee agreed that members receive copies of a general briefing note on the Single Conversation and that the matter be brought back to the Committee as appropriate.

Councillor Mitchell, Leader of the Council, responding to an invitation from the Chairman detailed what he saw as the remit of the Committee: to look at the Corporate Core; to look at Council strategy to see how it was working across Directorate boundaries and whether a long term view was being taken and in relation to partnerships to see if they were bringing added value. Within this he saw a number of roles that scrutiny could fulfil: challenge to the decision makers (provided by call in); policy development; reviews of decisions taken and review of outside bodies.

Members discussed the future work of Scrutiny and the following points were made:

1) A model for scrutiny was needed that made it clear what was expected from Cabinet in response to the work undertaken.

2) Reference was made to the Bucks model and members generally warned against taking on a model without considering the Oxfordshire context. Members’ had a great deal of experience of scrutiny work and this should be considered.

3) Councillor Brighouse whilst feeling that the Bucks model might have much to commend it disagreed with the political basis for membership of the Task and Review Groups. Scrutiny work should cut across party politics, making best use of people’s interests and experiences regardless of party.

4) Consideration needed to be given to the views of other Scrutiny Committees and members.

5) There was general support for considering further the way that scrutiny should be organised. However members were clear that given the other priorities of the Committee this piece of work should be very focussed.

6) There was discussion of the Star Chamber budget process and whether Scrutiny could add value to it. Councillor Mitchell outlined the reasons why the Cabinet would not be supportive of the involvement of Scrutiny at such an early stage in their budget thinking. It was suggested that an additional meeting of this Committee in advance of the Scrutiny Committee meetings in December could look at the totality of the budget before it was considered by individual Committees.

RESOLVED:              to:

(a)       undertake a focussed piece of work on how scrutiny could be undertaken in future;

(b)       to hold a work shop/seminar involving other members and giving consideration to a paper from the Corporate Performance & Review Manager on other forms of scrutiny undertaken elsewhere and to members own experience of scrutiny.