Issue - meetings

(a)       The Committee approves the Forward Work Programme with the inclusion of future items on Council Plan themes, alignment with Overview & Scrutiny Committees; wider issues of financial risk and emerging guidance on CJCs; and

(b)       That the Head of Democratic Services in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings.

The Head of Democratic Services presented the report,  He referred to the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 11 February, and advised that an additional item to provide a risk update would be included on the programme for the meeting.

Referring to discussion at the previous item on the proposal to create Corporate Joint Committee’s (CJC’s), the Chief Officer (Governance)  said the Authority’s response to the Welsh Government’s consultation on CJCs could be sent to the Committee which highlighted issues around local autonomy, accountability, cost and bureaucracy.

Reiterating his comments at the previous meeting Councillor Jones said that the Council Plan should be clearly aligned with portfolios and commented on the need for clearer accountability, citing the example of the need for the Council Plan to be aligned with the Well Being Strategy to allow scrutiny to work properly.  Councillor Jones also said that the Forward Work Programme (FWP) should also identify the biggest financial risks regularly during the year.    The Chief Officer indicated that the appropriate officers would  agree clear lines of accountability between Council Plan themes and portfolios and the Overview & Scrutiny Committees. He also reminded Members that the Council Plan was proposed by Cabinet and submitted to Council for approval, and that it was thus for Cabinet to choose its format.

In response to the comments and concerns made by Councillor Jones It was agreed that the FWP be approved with the inclusion of future items on Council Plan themes, alignment with Overview & Scrutiny Committees, wider issues of financial risk, and emerging guidance on CJCs.    On that basis, the Committee supported the recommendations.

RESOLVED:

(a)       The Committee approves the Forward Work Programme with the inclusion of future items on Council Plan themes, alignment with Overview & Scrutiny Committees; wider issues of financial risk and emerging guidance on CJCs; and

(b)       That the Head of Democratic Services in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings.