Issue - meetings

Overview & Scrutiny Annual report 2019/20

Meeting: 25/11/2020 - Constitution and Democratic Services Committee (Item 11)

11 Overview & Scrutiny Annual report 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To consider and approve the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2019/20.

Additional documents:

Decision:

(a)       That the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2019/20 be approved ; and

 

(b)       That the Committee recommends that the wording in the Constitution be changed to reflect the current practice

 

Minutes:

The Head of Democratic Services introduced a report to enable the Committee to  consider and approve the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2019/20.  He provided background information and advised that the Annual Report provided the Council with assurance that the Overview and Scrutiny function was fulfilling its constitutional role.  The draft Annual Report was submitted to the Committee for comment before being presented to Council for formal approval.

The Annual Report was based on the six Overview and Scrutiny Committee structure which had been reviewed during the year.  The new five Committee structure was introduced from the Annual Meeting of the Council in September 2020.  The Head  of Democratic Services  referred to the remit of the Organisational Change Overview & Scrutiny Committee which, having successfully completed its aims and tasks, had been stepped down as part of the review.  Future matters relating to the Organisational Change Overview & Scrutiny Committee would be allocated to the most appropriate Committee in the remaining structure. 

 

The recommendation to approve the Annual Report  was moved by Councillor Ted Palmer and seconded by Councillor Patrick Heesom

 

Councillor Mike Peers asked for clarification on the requirement in paragraph 1.01 of the report.  In response to the comments, Officers explained that the current practice was that each Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered its Forward Work Programme at each meeting and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee  Forward Work Programme was fed into the Council’s Forward Work Programme which was submitted to Cabinet on a monthly basis.  The Head of Democratic Services agreed to look at the wording in the Constitution.  

 

The Head of Democratic Services suggested that the recommendation in the report be amended as follows:

 

(a)       That the Committee  approves the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2019/20; and 

(b)       That the  Committee recommends that the wording in the Constitution be changed to reflect the current practice

 

The amendment  was moved by Councillor Mike Peers and seconded by Councillor Chris Bithell. When put to the vote this was carried.

 

 

 

 

 

Councillor Patrick Heesom paid tribute to the Head of Democratic Services for his work on the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(a)       That the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2019/20 be approved ; and

 

(b)       That the Committee recommends that the wording in the Constitution be changed to reflect the current practice