Agenda item

The Committee is asked to review the new structure and arrangements for scrutiny committees from the County Council Annual General Meeting in May 2019.

Witnesses:

Vicky Hibbert, Governance Lead Manager - Legal and Democratic Services

Ross Pike, Committees Business Manager

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Governance Lead Manager explained that in agreement with the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and the Chief Executive of the Council, as part of its governance role the Committee was charged with the responsibility to undertake a review of the changes to the Council’s scrutiny arrangements decided in May 2019.
2. In response to the Chairman’s question on the discussions within the Select Committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen’s Group on the changes to the scrutiny arrangements, Members were told that the review should be independent so should come from the Audit and Governance Committee.
3. Overview was encompassed with scrutiny and the review would be a Member led exercise, with support from Democratic Services.
4. The Committee was tasked to agree the membership within the Terms of Reference of the proposed Audit and Governance Task Group, Members were recommended that it would be composed of three or four Members of the Committee.
5. Members discussed that a Task Group of four would not be beneficial as the Committee was only composed of six Members and each had a different knowledge of Select Committees.
6. In response to Member questions it was explained that in addition to the Local Government Act 2000, when exercising its functions local authorities ‘must have due regard’ to the statutory guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In accordance with best practice standards, local authorities also ‘may have regard’ to other material such as the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s ‘Scrutiny Evaluation Framework’ to assist their overview and scrutiny function.
7. Members discussed whether they should attend the four Select Committee meetings as part of their governance review. A Member had reservations due to their borough and district commitments and external employment. He reiterated that Members were volunteers not ‘workers’/paid professionals.
8. In response to Members queries, the Committees Business Manager stated that the two supporting reports on this item were written to be accessible to Members, they did not need specialist knowledge to undertake the governance review.
9. The Governance Lead Manager reminded Members that the Select Committees were webcast for those who could not attend them in person and the Committees Business Manager stressed than an objective governance review was based on the Select Committees’ compliance with good scrutiny practice as outlined in the two supporting reports, not by obtaining the ‘feeling’ of the meeting.
10. In response to Member queries, the Governance Lead Manager informed the Committee that the rationale behind changing the Council’s Select Committee structure was not a resourcing issue. It was as a result of the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s ‘Northamptonshire: Scrutiny Improvements’ report which advocated fewer committees and a simpler structure. At Members’ request, a recommendation to ensure the structure of Select Committees would not change in May 2020 would be included in the Task Groups’ updated Terms of Reference.
11. In order to allow the new scrutiny arrangements to embed, Members were advised by the Governance Lead Manager and the Committees Business Manager that the report from the Task Group should go to the Audit and Governance Committee in May 2020 - it would be a Task and Finish Group. Updates to the Committee before that should be documented as written reports rather than as verbal discussion items.

Action/further information to be provided:

1. When possible, Members to attend and/or watch the webcast of the four Select Committee meetings as part of their governance review over scrutiny.

2. A recommendation to ensure the structure of Select Committee will not change in May 2020, will be included in the Task and Finish Group’s updated Terms of Reference.

RESOLVED:

1. Members agreed that the governance review of the changes to the scrutiny arrangements did fall within the Committee’s governance responsibility.
2. That it was to be a Task and Finish Group with whole Committee membership and a report to the full Audit and Governance Committee in May 2020 – making allowances for Members with considerable district and borough commitments and external employment.