Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of business on the agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 13 February 2017 and the minutes of the CSMC (Call-in) held on 31 January 2017.  

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 13 February 2017 and the CSMC Call-in meeting held on 31 January 2017 be approved as a correct record and then signed by the Chair.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 3 March 2017. Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the Committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or, if recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report proposes terms of reference for the new scrutiny committees to be considered by Council in March 2017. 

[See also Part B minute]

Members gave consideration to a report which proposed terms of reference for the new scrutiny committees to be considered by Council in March 2017. Included in the report were the following proposals for the Committee’s consideration, which it was hoped would improve future work planning:

1.   Invite the Leader and/or Deputy Leader to attend at the beginning of each municipal year (early June), to advise on key priorities for the Council for the year ahead. This would enable CSMC to feed potential areas for scrutiny involvement into scrutiny committee work planning discussions

2.   Advise on and sign off each scrutiny committee’s annual workplan(late July)

3.   Receive regular updates from the new scrutiny committees on progress with their workplans through regular meetings with the Chairs of the new scrutiny committees (November & May)

Officers clarified that the proposals were aiming to improve scrutiny work planning, and that the attendance of the Leader and Deputy leader did not preclude scrutiny committees from inviting Executive Members to meetings as required. However, this change would allow CSMC to move forward in its management role.

During debate Members highlighted the importance of retaining the ability to call Executive Members to meetings as necessary and raised ongoing concerns about the process of pre-decision scrutiny, in particular timescales and Officer engagement. In light of these concerns and wider cultural engagement issues discussed as part of the recent scrutiny review work, Members felt that a discussion with the Chief Executive at a future meeting would be helpful.

Resolved:  That;

1.   the Leader and/or Deputy Leader be invited to attend at the beginning of each municipal year (early June), to advise on key Council priorities for the year ahead.

2.   the Chief Executive be invited to the next CSMC meeting to discuss the pre-decision scrutiny process.

Reason:     To enable the scrutiny management role of this Committee to be fulfilled.

Members are asked to give consideration to the committee’s work plan for 2016-17. Officers will also provide a verbal update on the One Planet York Scrutiny Review.

Members were asked to give consideration to the committee’s Work Plan for 2016/17.

Councillor D’Agorne, Chair of the One Planet York Scrutiny Review Task Group, gave a verbal update on the One Planet York Scrutiny Review.

Resolved:  That the committee’s work plan for 2016/17 be approved subject to the following additions:

·        Further to Minute No. 49 above, facilitating the Chief Executive to attend a future meeting (June if possible) to discuss engagement with scrutiny in general, but including officer support for pre-decision scrutiny.

Reason:     To ensure that the committee has a planned programme of work in place.

[See also Part A minute]

Members gave consideration to a report which proposed terms of reference for the new scrutiny committees to be considered by Council in March 2017. The Committee were asked to consider the draft terms of reference and agree a recommendation to Council.

Officers gave a brief background to the report and referred Members to an alternative split for the Economy & Place Directorate proposed by the Corporate Director of Economy & Place for the Committee’s consideration (agenda Pg. 14).

During debate some Members felt that this proposed split would be a good trial for alternative ways of working in scrutiny, conversely some disagreed as the Committee decided against this at the last meeting in favour of splits by Directorate. However, there was agreement that splitting the Economy & Place functions across two committees by whichever method may prove problematic.

Councillor Levene moved in favour of the proposed alternative split, with Councillor D’Agorne seconding. When put to the vote this motion fell.

As an alternative, it was then moved that the Economy and Place Directorate be dealt with via one standing scrutiny committee.

Recommended:  That Members agree to recommend to Council the proposed Terms of Reference for the new scrutiny committees set out in Annex A to the report, subject to Economy and Place being dealt with via one standing scrutiny committee rather than two.

Reason:     To enable the changes required to the scrutiny function to be presented to Full Council in March 2017 for approval.