Agenda and minutes

Apologies for Absence were received from Councillors S Broadhurst and Councillor Mrs B Howell (Councillor Mrs S Jones substituted for Councillor Mrs B Howell)

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

A number of Councillors who were existing County and Borough Councillors declared a general personal interest in the business of the meeting.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research it would be helpful if questions were submitted at least one working day before the meeting.

There were no Members of the Public present who wished to address the Committee.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2009.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 21 January be approved as a correct record.

None

To receive a verbal update on various Scrutiny matters considered at the meeting of the Governance and Constitution Committee held on 9 February 2009.

Members were advised that the Governance and Constitution Committee at its meeting held on 9 February had considered a number of Scrutiny issues as follows:

Ÿ         Public Speaking Time/Open Session - The Scrutiny Committee and the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee had both requested that Procedure Rules Nos 11 and 35 be disapplied on the grounds that Scrutiny was not a decision making body.  The Governance and Constitution Committee had resolved to defer the request to await a report of the Borough Solicitor on various procedural matters including emerging Government guidance relating to Councillor Call for Action and Petitions under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007;

Ÿ         Overview and Scrutiny Structure  - the Committee noted that the proposed scrutiny structure had been approved by Governance and Constitution Committee for recommendation to Council which listed 5 Scrutiny Committees:

Ÿ         Children and Families Scrutiny Committee;

Ÿ         Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee;

Ÿ         Environment and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee;

Ÿ         Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committee;

Ÿ         Corporate Scrutiny Committee.

Matters to be considered further included whether it was appropriate to allow substitutions on Scrutiny Committees.

RESOLVED:  That the outcomes from the meeting of the Governance and Constitution Committee held on 9 February be noted.

The Chairman on behalf of the Committee has invited Councillor Frank Keegan, Portfolio Holder for Resources, to address the meeting on current financial issues.

Councillor Keegan, Portfolio Holder for Resources, briefed the Committee on the Council’s budget.  He explained that the budget had been discussed at Cabinet on 17 February and would be submitted to full Council for approval on 24 February.

The budget book was not detailed this year but would contain a greater level of detail in future years with budget proposals issued at an earlier stage to enable consultation to take place.

The budget at this stage maintained current grant levels and budget allocations.  The budget was balanced with some pump priming from reserves with no income generation schemes included.  For the future the budget would be based on a lean systems approach enabling greater efficiencies and would include income generation targets set in the region of £30 million by the end of 2011.

Councillor Keegan outlined a number of future initiatives that may be of interest to the Scrutiny Committee:

Domiciliary Day Care;

Health and Well –Being- how and where services were provided;

Transport – across Cheshire East.

There would also be a number of pilot projects involving Town and Parish Councils relating to devolved service delivery and local leadership.

Members of the Committee were then given the opportunity to ask questions or raise issues as follows:

      The possibility of commenting more fully on the budget in future years when detailed proposals would be available;

      The division of assets between Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council, including the situation regarding Tatton Park;

      It was noted that the budget would not be at risk if future income generation targets were not met;

      The potential impact on Town and Parish Councils in future years if budget allocations changed as they often provided match funding;

      The future role of voluntary organisations which would be reviewed by Scrutiny.

RESOLVED: that the presentation on the budget be noted.

To consider further the development of the Committee’s Annual Work Programme taking into account the following:

      A Schedule of Reviews undertaken by Macclesfield Borough Council (attached);

      A Schedule of some Reviews undertaken by Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council (attached);

      An extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council Community Scrutiny Committee in relation to Migrant Workers (attached);

      A Schedule of Reviews undertaken by Congleton Borough Council (to follow);

      The Cheshire East current Forward Plan (attached);

      A request from the Performance and Capacity Portfolio Holder for the Citizen Advice Bureau to be included in the Work Programme;

      Details of tasks to be carried forward from each of the four constituent Authorities.

Members will note that a Schedule of Scrutiny Reviews undertaken by Cheshire County Council was circulated with the Agenda papers for the meeting held on 15 December 2008.

The Committee considered developing its Work Programme taking into account a Schedule of Reviews undertaken by the four constituent Authorities and a request from the Portfolio Holder for Performance and Capacity to include the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

RESOLVED: That the following list of items be included in the Work Programme for further consideration at the next meeting as detailed below:

The Chairman to report verbally on the drafting of an Annual Scrutiny Report for the Shadow Council for the year 2008/09.

The Chairman reported orally that he had produced a first draft of the Annual Scrutiny Report which he would circulate for further consideration at the next meeting.

RESOLVED:  That the Annual Scrutiny Report for 2008/09 be considered at the next meeting.

To receive a verbal update on the Scrutiny Review of Facilities for Young People.

The Committee was informed that a meeting of the Panel looking at facilities for young people had received presentations on various initiatives including those run by Connexions, the Princes Trust and the Youth Opportunity Fund.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To receive a verbal update on Module 4 of the Cheshire and Warrington Improvement Partnership Member Development – Overview and Scrutiny Programme to be held at Crewe on 13 February.

The Committee noted that Module 4 of the Member Development – Overview and Scrutiny Programme had taken place on 13 February and the Chairman would complete the feedback questionnaire.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

To receive a verbal update on various Scrutiny Developments and Training Issues.

The Committee noted that there were no specific Scrutiny developments or training to discuss other than those already raised at the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

To receive a verbal update on Government Guidance.

The Committee was advised that Government Guidance in relation to Scrutiny was still awaited and would be reported to the next meeting if available.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.