Issue - meetings

Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to review the attached recommendations tracker and forward work programme making suggestions for additions or amendments as appropriate.

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Select Committee was reminded that budget scrutiny and a session on building partnerships would be held in January.

2.    Members submitted suggestions for the subsequent Forward Work Programme. These included scrutinising property progress more extensively, scrutinising the capital budget, understanding the revenue consequences of the capital budget and understanding more about changes to the coroner’s service.

Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to review the attached forward work programme making suggestions for additions or amendments as appropriate.

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. A Member suggested that the Committee discuss the issue of road safety in Surrey in light of the recently released figures by BBC Surrey that eighteen people are killed or seriously injured every week on Surrey’s roads. Members agreed that this figure needed quantifying. The Chairman stated that he would ascertain whether there was scope for serious and credible work for the Committee.

2. A Member told the Chairman that he would like a discussion to scrutinise the bus strategy. The Member also highlighted that the Surrey Environmental Partnership was looking to develop a climate plan and that this was a new policy that should be scrutinised by the committee. He also suggested scrutiny of the new highways maintenance contract.

3. The Chairman agreed that the Member’s points should be looked into for inclusion on the Committee’s forward work programme.

4. It was requested that the Cabinet Member for Highways be asked about the current status of Project Horizon.

Actions/ Further information to be provided:

i.              Submit question to the Cabinet Member for Highways on the status of project horizon.

ii.             Quantification of statistic of traffic-related deaths in Surrey to determine scope for potential future scrutiny.

iii.            The Committee Forward Work Programme be updated to include the proposed agreed scrutiny items.

Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to review the attached recommendations tracker and forward work programme making suggestions for additions or amendments as appropriate.

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Committee reviewed the recommendations tracker and noted that all actions had been completed.
2. Regarding the forward work programme, the Chairman informed the Committee that items discussed during the meeting would be added to forward work programme for consideration at future meetings.
3. An update was provided by the Vice-Chairman on the agile working and moving closer to residents task group. He explained that agile working plans were scrutinised by the task group during the summer but that it was difficult for it to scrutinise the move out of County Hall until a new building had been identified. Once one had been identified and announced, the task group would quickly begin the scrutiny process.
4. A Member suggested that the Committee kept a close eye on the property portfolio. The Vice-Chairman informed the Committee that his budget scrutiny and asset task group would be undertaking a review of Halsey Garton and Council-owned properties. In terms of budget scrutiny, the Committee would look at Q2 at its next meeting and would examine how exactly it wanted to scrutinise the 2020/21 budget.
5. The Chairman spoke about the budget process and explained that preliminary budget papers were going to each of the other three select committees before the end of the year. The chairmen of those select committees would be invited to the next meeting of the Committee and budget scrutiny would be the primary focus.
6. It was agreed that Rachael Lake would join the budget scrutiny and asset task group.

Resolved:

The Committee reviewed the recommendations tracker and forward work programme.

Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to review the attached forward work programme making suggestions for additions or amendments as appropriate.

Declarations of interest:

None

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Chairman explained that the transformation projects within the Committees remit would be considered at the October and December Select Committee meetings with the possibility that the order in which these projects are considered may be changed depending on the acceleration of the projects.
2. The Vice Chairman recommended that the Digital transformation project is the main focus at the October meeting as an item on the digital strategy would be taken to Cabinet in October for consideration. It was agreed that the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen would decide which transformation projects are considered at the October and December Select Committee meetings.
3. A Member of the Committee recommended that Members review investment re-appraisal reports. The Vice Chairman explained that there were plans to convene a budget and property task group which would look at investment re-appraisals.

Resolved:    

The Select Committee reviewed and agreed its forward work programme.