Agenda and draft 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 reported that there were no declarations of interests.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2006 and to ratify the recommendation from that part of the meeting which was inquorate.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2006 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair, subject to the ratification of Minute No. 96 conveying the Committee’s regards to the former Scrutiny Manager who had left the Council to pursue other interests.

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 26 May at 10.00am.

The Chair reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting.

Members will receive a brief presentation which will introduce them to the role of SMC and the changes to its functions since the introduction of the new Constitution.

Members received a presentation on the new role of the Committee based on changes to its functions agreed as part of the new Constitution, introduced with effect from 26 May 2006.  In particular, Members were advised of the following key changes:

• any future scrutiny reviews not led by either of the 2 new standing Scrutiny Committees (Health or Education) would be conducted by up to 5 time-limited Ad Hoc Scrutiny Committees set up by SMC;

• any pre- or post decision call-in of Executive business to be considered initially by a specially convened meeting of SMC

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be received and the new role of Scrutiny Management Committee be noted.

This report asks Members to consider

• a report on the numbers of outstanding scrutiny topics which have been registered but not yet taken forward
•  to make recommendations as to which ones are to be the subject of Ad Hoc Scrutiny Sub-Committees and
• to consider topics which were being carried out by former Scrutiny Boards which have not finished their investigations.

Members received a report seeking their views on dealing with the various outstanding scrutiny topics either registered but not yet taken forward or underway but where completion was still outstanding from 2005/6. Details of all registered topics were annexed to the report and Members were advised that the following Scrutiny Boards set up in 2005/6 had not had time to complete the reviews undertaken below:-

Housing Scrutiny Board – “Sustainable Street Lighting”

Planning & Transport Scrutiny Board – “Reducing Carbon Emissions from York’s Housing”

Commercial Services Scrutiny Board – “Community Recycling and Re-Use in York”

Environment & Sustainability Scrutiny Board – “Guidance for Sustainable Development”

In making their decision, Members took into account the current available resources and the practicalities in taking on any new reviews at this time, given both staffing shortages and a new structure to work with.  As a result, they felt it would be inappropriate at this meeting to progress any of the existing registered topics further.  Instead they preferred to ensure the soonest possible completion of the above outstanding reviews already underway and to receive a more detailed work plan to assist with prioritisation at the next meeting prior to allocating any further reviews.

RESOLVED:             (1)       That no further scrutiny reviews be commenced for the time being to enable scrutiny resources to be allocated to the formation of new Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committees to enable the completion of the following outstanding reviews within the timescale shown, based on reconvening the existing former membership (where applicable):

·        Sustainable Street Lighting – to be completed and report to SMC on 26 June 2006

·        Reducing Carbon Emissions from York’s Housing – to be completed and report to SMC on 26 June 2006

·        Community Recycling & Re-Use in York – to be completed and report to SMC in July 2006

·        Guidance for Sustainable Development  - to be completed and report to SMC in July 2006.

(2)That a combined forward and work planning process be developed for report back to the next meeting to assist Members in the prioritisation of new reviews.

This report recommends that diet-related children’s health is approved to be added to the list of future scrutiny topics.

Members considered a report scoping a potential topic for review on diet-related children’s health, first registered in June 2004 (topic registration form no. 99). The report identified the national and regional context, as well as any preliminary consultation and research undertaken to date.  The scoping work had established an ongoing upwards trend with obesity in children with its  associated problems (eg. Diabetes) continuing into adulthood.

In view of the wide-ranging nature of the topic, Members felt that any review could not easily be constrained within the constitutional requirements for an ad-hoc review and so suggested that Education Scrutiny Committee be asked to consider whether they wished to review the topic in more detail.

RESOLVED:

That diet-related children’s health be not agreed as a dedicated Ad-hoc review but referred instead to Education Scrutiny Committee for consideration and review if that Committee, subject to its approval.

Members are asked to comment on the final report of the Inclusive Decision Making Ad Hoc Scrutiny Panel.

Members received the final report of the Ad Hoc Scrutiny Panel on Inclusive Decision Making and considered what comments they wished to make finally prior to its referral to the Executive. 

It was noted that some constitutional changes had already been made in the decision making structure in anticipation of the scrutiny review, with a view to streamlining a process on inclusivity.  As a result, Members agreed that the report should be amended to reflect those changes.  

Members were generally supportive of the report as drafted, subject to the minor changes referred to above, the inclusion of a ‘jargon buster’ and consideration being given to providing the report in ‘easy read’ format.

RESOLVED:

That the final report, as amended above, be referred to the Executive for consideration.

This report presents the Forward Plan to September 2006 and asks Members for their comments.

Members received the Forward Plan for Scrutiny Management Committee for May 2006 and noted the position as at 30 May 2006, subject to the details being revised to reflect the agreed reporting arrangements on the outstanding reviews.

RESOLVED:

That the Forward Plan be noted and updated accordingly and progress reports from both main Scrutiny Committees be requested to SMC in July.