Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members will be invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

The Chair invited Members to declare any interests they might have in the business of the meeting.  No declarations of interest were made.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2007.

The minutes of the last meeting held on 23 April 2007 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is Friday 15 June 2007 at 5 pm.

The Chair reported that no registrations to speak had been received under the Council’s public participation scheme.

This report introduces Members of Scrutiny Management Committee to the scrutiny work previously completed since 2004.

Members considered a report which detailed the scrutiny work completed since 2004.

Members commented on the findings from the scrutiny review of resources for policing which was completed in April 2005.  In regard to  North Yorkshire Police budgets being split equally across their three zones despite the fact that the majority of crime took place in the central area, Members asked that the issue be taken up again now that a new Chief Constable was in place.  Members asked that the Chief Executive check the present situation and provide an update.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted and that the Chief Executive provide an update on the current formula for apportioning the budget of North Yorkshire Police.

This report asks Members to appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair for the current Traffic Congestion Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee and the Highways Maintenance & PFI (Part B) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee.

Members considered a report which detailed the membership of the current Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committees and asked them to appoint the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of each.

RESOLVED:  That the following Members be appointed as follows:

This report provides Members with an update on the implementation of recommendations made as a result of the scrutiny review on ‘Cycling Policy and Provision of Facilities’, completed in October 2004.

Members considered a report which gave an update on the implementation of the recommendations made in relation to a previously completed scrutiny review on ‘Cycling Policy and Provision of Facilities’.

With regard to gaps in the network, officers from City Strategy provided information on some of the areas where gaps in cycle lanes had been filled totalling a 1km increase in on-road provision and 8km of off-road provision. Officers also identified some that were currently being investigated.  Members queried if any advisory on-road cycle lanes had been converted to mandatory lanes since the recommendations had been approved.

With the permission of the Chair, Cllr Merrett addressed the committee to ask why nearly three years later there had been no significant changes made in line with the approved recommendations and asked officers to clarify what impact if any, the recommendations had made.  Cllr Merrett commented that the gaps officers listed as having been filled were not those identified as a result of the review but those which were already included in the capital programme at the time.

As a result  of the comments made, Members requested a list of those gaps identified by the scrutiny review that were scheduled to be filled as part of the current capital programme.  Members also requested clarification on the anomaly between Policy C3 and Policy C5 of the Cycling Strategy.

Due to the number of queries raised by Members, it was agreed that the agenda item be deferred so that officers could provide a full written response.

RSOLVED:    That the agenda item be deferred to the next meeting of SMC to  receive further information on those recommendations still not fully  implemented.

This report of the Area Asset Management Plan (Tanghall) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee presents their final recommendations.

Members considered the final report of the Tang Hall Asset Management Plan Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee.  Members noted that the review had used Tang Hall as a pilot area for investigating the preparation of an Area Asset Management Plan.  As a result, some useful information had been gathered on the use of council owned land in the area which could inform any future Asset Management Plan produced for Tang Hall.  The final report provided a series of recommendations relating to the objectives of the review and Members were informed that the pilot Asset Management Plan was due to be reported on at the end of July 2007.

RESOLVED:       That consideration of the final report be deferred until the next meeting of SMC so that an update on the pilot Asset Management Plan could be received at the same time.

This feasibility report presents information on a possible scrutiny review on the transparent formulation of council policy.

Members considered a feasibility report on the topic of ‘The Transparent Formulation of Council Policy’.

Members commented that the formulation of policy was the responsibility of individual political groups when agreeing their manifestos and therefore it did not require transparency.

Members also noted that if the review were undertaken at this time it could lead to the duplication of work currently in progress as part of the ethical governance audit.

RESOLVED:       That the review not be pursued at this time and that any future decision on whether to proceed with the review be deferred until the outcome of the audit was known and the new practices being introduced by the group leaders were embedded in the organisation

Members are asked to consider a feasibility report in relation to a scrutiny topic on confidentiality in tendering and high risk procurement.

Members considered a feasibility report on the topic of ‘Confidentiality in Tendering & High-Risk Procurement’.

As a Member of the previous ad-hoc scrutiny committee which had suggested this topic, Cllr Moore clarified that the suggested review was not designed specifically to look at procurement in Property Services.  At the time of  recommending the review be undertaken, a restructure of Property services was due to commence.  As this area was responsible for a high percentage of the council’s confidential tendering and high-risk procurement, it was recognised that the review could only be thorough if this area was included and therefore it was agreed that the review should not commence before the restructure was complete to allow all procurement across the council to be looked at.

Members noted that the CPA process was due for completion later in the year and that the outcome could inform a review of this nature.

RESOLVED:          That a decision on carrying out a review of confidential tendering and high-risk procurement be deferred for one year to allow time for completion of the CPA processes