Agenda item

For Council to review the Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/24 at Annex A offering feedback and comments as appropriate.

The Chair of the Select Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs’ Group noted that scrutiny had strengthened over the last year. She highlighted the scrutiny activity outlined in paragraph four undertaken by the four select committees, reports were made to the Cabinet and numerous recommendations had been implemented. The select committees actioned the objectives from last year’s report through various task and finish groups and Member visits, those provided greater breadth and depth to their work. The select committees worked cross-party to do the best for residents, setting their own agendas and questions. The select committees had strong officer support and the Leader supported the role of scrutiny. The select committees seek to provide early input to the 2025/26 budget and in yesterday’s finance training session the Deputy Chief Executive of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) was impressed by that early involvement. A training session on how to run effective task and finish groups was planned. 

Paul Follows and Penny Rivers left the meeting at 11.54 am.

The Chairman of the Adults and Health Select Committee, called on Members to support recommendation two. He noted NHS England’s decision to move the Primary Treatment Centre for paediatric cancer care from the Royal Marsden Hospital - working with the Institute of Cancer Research and Saint George's Hospital, Tooting - to the Evelina Hospital in central London. The change risks damage to the level of care given, families faced travelling from Surrey into central London with seriously ill children, with significantly higher costs and lesser family accommodation than that proposed by St George’s. The Evelina Hospital did not provide serious paediatric cancer care and would still require ambulance transfers between multiple centres. The South West London and Surrey Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committeeunanimously agreed that the decision was damaging to the health services.

A Member thanked the select committee members for their work, noting particular thanks to the CFLLC Select Committee for its work and analysis to lobby for the increase in the budget envelope of £30 million. Also, for its support to get the community-based play and leisure scheme for children with SEND that lost funding in the 2023/24 budget reinstated; and thanked the Leader and the Cabinet for their support. The Member noted disappointment that despite reassurances that it would be the case, the Cabinet agenda last month reflected that the schemes lost had not been reinstated and funding had been allocated to different parts of those services. Whilst the hours had broadly been reinstated, missed provision would not be gotten back and there was nothing to address waiting lists. Those schemes provided children and young people with a relaxing and safe place, and provided their families and carers with respite. She hoped that the SEND Capital Programme and the roll out of the Foster Carers’ Charter would be scrutinised effectively over the coming year, with support from officers in sharing information.

A Member praised yesterday’s finance training session with the CfGS and welcomed a repeat of it following the 2025 County Council elections, and noted that budget scrutiny should be built into next year’s training programme for Members.

RESOLVED:

1.    Noted the summary of scrutiny activity provided and the key areas of impact highlighted in the report (para 10-32).

2.    Noted the work of the South West London and Surrey Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee (para 25) and endorsed the decision to submit a joint request to the Secretary of State to consider a call-in.

3.    Further noted that the Constitution will be updated to take account of changes to Health Scrutiny legislation and updated statutory guidance which removes local authority powers of referral to the Secretary of State replacing them with the current system whereby all interested parties can write to request that the Secretary of State consider calling in a proposal via a call-in request form.

4.    Supported the areas of improvement identified by the report (para 33-34).