Issue - meetings

To review the Committee’s work programme.

The Committee considered a report summarising its work programme to date, including progress with various work streams:

Review of Officer Scheme of Delegation

The member working group appointed to review the scheme of delegation had now submitted a revised scheme for the Committee’s consideration as discussed earlier in the meeting.

Frequency of Meetings

The Committee at its meeting on 24^th January 2013 had considered whether the frequency of the Council’s meetings should be reviewed. The officers had been asked to submit a report to the Committee’s meeting on 19^th September 2013 following further detailed work, and having allowed time for the new scrutiny committees and policy development groups to settle in.

It had not been possible to bring a report back to the Committee at this time because the new scrutiny committees and policy development groups were still settling in, and it was now considered appropriate in the light of experience to review the scrutiny and policy development arrangements. The outcome of such a review would help inform the report back on frequency of meetings. The Head of Governance and Democratic Services hoped to be able to bring a report to the Committee’s meeting on 21^st November.

Policy Development Groups and Scrutiny Committees

The new structure of policy development groups and scrutiny committees was still settling in. However, it was now considered appropriate to review the arrangements in the light of experience to date. It was proposed that a member working group be appointed to conduct the review and that the group whips be asked by the Head of Governance and Democratic Services to submit the names of their nominated members to the working group.

Transparency

The member working group appointed to review the scheme of delegation had now completed that work and a meeting of the working group would shortly be convened to consider the issue of transparency and openness.

Size and Structure of the Constitution

The officers had been undertaking two separate streams of work which would be co-ordinated with a view to submitting proposals for the Committee’s consideration in due course.

Review of the Procedure Rules

At its meeting on 5^th June 2013, the Committee had agreed that a general review of the various procedure rules within the Constitution would be beneficial. This review would begin when resources allowed and members had determined the means by which it would be conducted.

Notice of Motion – Staffing Committee Terms of Reference

The Head of Human Resources would be submitting a report to the Committee’s meeting  on 21^st November 2013.

RESOLVED

That

(1)  the current progress with the various work streams be noted;

(2)  a full report on the frequency of meetings, including the related issues identified in the report, be submitted to the Committee’s meeting on 21^st November 2013;

(3)  a member working group be appointed, the size and composition to be determined, to commence the review of the scrutiny and policy development group structure; the group whips be asked to submit  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12