Issue - meetings

The Committee considered the above report which outlined the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) function during the past municipal year and its future work programme as thus far developed.

The six decisions taken during the past municipal year under the ‘urgency’ provisions were listed within the report and detailed at Appendix 2.  In 2022/23, the O&S Committee’s Chairperson agreed to requests to waive call-in on three occasions.  No decisions were called-in for consideration by the Committee during the past municipal year.

The Chairperson drew attention to the recommendations contained within the report.  There were no comments regarding the issues and topics examined by O&S during 2022-23 nor any suggestions for changes to the future work programme for O&S as developed thus far.  The Leader of the Council expressed a wish for further consideration to be given to the recommendation to review the operation of provisions relating to call-in and urgency and consider proposals for improvement.

RESOLVED: (I) That the issues and topics examined by O&S during 2022-23 be noted;

(II) That the future work programme for O&S as developed thus far be approved; and

(III) That the operation of provisions relating to call-in and urgency be reviewed and proposals for improvement be considered.

RECOMMENDED to Council that:

(I) the  report submitted to the Committee be commended as the O&S Annual Report 2022/23; and

(II) the current rules relating to the Council’s call-in or urgency provisions remain unchanged for the time being, pending review.

The Council considered a report which outlined the work undertaken by overview and scrutiny during the past municipal year and its future work programme as thus far developed. 

Decisions taken during the past municipal year under the ‘urgency’ provisions and the use of ‘call-in’ were also detailed within the report.  In 2021-22, two decisions had been taken under the urgency provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rules, call-in had been waived by the O&S Committee Chairman on one occasion and no Executive decisions had been called in.

The report had also been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 12 July 2022.  The Committee had commended the Annual Report to Council.

Upon the motion of Councillor Paul Spooner, seconded by Councillor Angela Goodwin, the Council

RESOLVED:

(1)     That thereport be commended as the annual report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2020-21.

(2)     That the current rules relating to call in or urgency provisions remain unchanged.

Reasons:

·       Article 8.2(d) of the Council’s Constitution required the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to report annually to Full Council on the work undertaken during the year, its future work programme, and amended working methods if appropriate. 

·       Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16(i), required the operation of the provisions relating to call-in and urgency to be monitored annually and a report submitted to Full Council with proposals for review if necessary.

The Chair introduced the item.  Councillors had no comments on the report.

RESOLVED:  (I) That the report submitted to the Committee be commended to Full Council as the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, 2020-21.

(II) That the current rules relating to call in or urgency provisions remain unchanged.