Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Christopher Newbury

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 28 February 2013.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 28 February 2013 were approved and signed as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest received.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

1.   That there had been no call-ins requested since the last meeting.

2.   Thanked the Scrutiny Team for all their support and advice over the last twelve months, as this was the last meeting before the elections and reported that Stuart Figini was replacing Sharon Smith as the Committee’s Democratic Services Officer following her recent promotion.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item.  Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above no later than 5pm on Thursday 4 April 2013.  Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice.  Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

There was no public participation.

The Committee at its meeting held on 18 October considered a report on Job Creation and Economic Development which included details of the positive work being undertaken by the Economy and Regeneration Service.  On considering the report the Committee resolved to receive a further update on activity at its meeting in April 2013.  This is now attached and the Committee is asked to consider its content and provide comment as appropriate.

The Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning was in attendance to present an update report on Job Creation and Economic Development.  The report  provided details on the work being undertaken by the Economy and Regeneration Service, including the broad range of initiatives and projects underway. Further information was circulated following the briefing showing the targets against the performance figures in the table in paragraph 2.1.

The Cabinet Member explained that the report contained some very positive updates, and she was pleased to report that significant new investment had been attracted into Wiltshire to provide the right infrastructure, employment and skills provision, and planning to support the Council’s vision to create stronger and more resilient communities.  In particular, reference was made to the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership  and the growing Places Fund for the delivery of the Castledown Phase 2, which would support the growth of the local economy through the provision of business facilities.

In supporting the comments made by the Cabinet Member and thanking the Economy and Regeneration Service for a very positive report, the Committee commented on a number of issues, including:

·       the positive change over the last few years in the approach and culture of departments towards the way they work with partners, members and other departments.

·       The successful Regional Funding bit for £10m to enable the development of Porton Science Park, bringing forward an innovation centre and infrastructure to enable serviced laboratory and office space to be delivered.

·       Concerns at the length of time that Pre-Application Discussions took and the costs involved

·       concern that small established companies were struggling and some were not in a position to take on apprentices.  However it was noted that of the 139 business employers supported by the Wiltshire Apprenticeships Campaign 47 had taken on their first apprentice.

·       A suggestion that the adoption of the Core Strategy would be a major step forward in helping to alleviate many of the issues being experienced by planning officers within the current planning framework.

The Chairman thanked both officers and the Cabinet Member for the update.

Resolved:

1.    That the update on the Job Creation and Economic Development report previously considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 18 October 2012 be noted.

2.    That the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee would receive further update reports at future meetings.

The Committee is asked to consider the final report of the Traded Services Task Group and comment as appropriate.

The Committee considered the conclusions and recommendations report of the Traded Services Scrutiny Task Group. The figure in paragraph 4 was corrected to £0.100m.

Councillor Doyle, Chairman of the Task Group explained that the Group had prepared a very comprehensive report.  He confirmed that the Group had now completed its work on Traded Services and that the report before the Management Committee was the final report.  It was noted that the Group decided from the outset of their work not to scrutinise a particular traded service, but to undertake an overarching approach in order to develop an appropriate policy and sound guidance criteria for future Council Traded Services. 

Councillor Doyle thanked officers, in particular Jacqui white, Service Director, Business Services who gave their time, energy and helpful advice to facilitate background discussions which fed into the development of guidance for going forward with traded services.  Councillor Doyle commended the report to the Management Committee and asked for the recommendations to be supported. 

Officers explained the process for new traded services, which included how an initial concept would be evaluated and the help available to services considering a traded service, through to the business case pro-forma.  Members spoke about the importance of retaining existing skills, experience and knowledge within the Council when consideration was given to a new traded service.

It was noted that there were restrictions in the Council’s ability to make a profit as this was outside the scope of the Council’s powers, however full cost recovery was allowed.  Officers reported that there could be circumstances where full cost recovery was not achievable due to the costs involved.  Members input was required to make decisions in relation to a traded service being subsidised from other service areas.  Free swimming during school holidays was quoted as an example of this.

Resolved:

That the recommendations of the Traded Services Scrutiny Task Group be endorsed, and that the report be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Risk for consideration and response.

The Committee resolved at its previous meeting that each Select Committee would highlight any unfinished items of business to be compiled within a legacy report to be agreed by the Committee.  A covering report to recommendations made by the select committees is now attached. The report also identifies scrutiny responsibilities of the Management Committee for potential inclusion. The Committee is asked to approve the recommendations for referral to the newly appointed Management Committee post election.

The Management Committee considered the report of the Scrutiny Manager, Paul Kelly about the topics recommended by the Select Committees for inclusion in a legacy report for consideration by the new Council post May 2013 elections.

It was noted that the report not only highlighted the good work undertaken by the Select Committee’s but also contained information about ongoing pieces of work recommended for inclusion in the overview and scrutiny work programme of the new Council.  In reviewing the ongoing pieces of work detailed in Appendix B to the report, members made the following comments:

·       Councillor Seed indicated that the Member Support in the Locality Task Group was still active and asked for it to be recorded as an existing Task Group and added to Appendix B.

·       Councillor Hutton asked for a Review of Continence Services to be included in Appendix B

·       Councillor Hubbard explained that the Environment Select Committee met on 4 April 2013 and confirmed that the following three existing Task Groups should be included in the proposed work programme for the new Council and asked for an additional item detailed at 4 below:

3.    Air Quality (jointly with Health Select Committee)

4.    A new topic to look at issues around Development Control and the timely delivery of adoptable estates.

 The Chairmen of the Select Committees and some Chairmen of Task Groups expressed their thanks to the commitment, dedication, support and help throughout the year from members, partners, witnesses and officers including the excellent work of the Scrutiny Team.

The members also took the opportunity to thank the Chairman for  the way he had supported and guided the Committee over the years.

Resolved:

1.    That the members, partner organisations and officers who had positively contributed to the work of the select committees and in the effective delivery of the overview and scrutiny work programme be thanked.

2.    That the significant contribution that overview and scrutiny was now making to open and honest decision-making and to the overall good governance of the authority, be acknowledged.

3.    That the topics listed in the Appendix, attached to these minutes, be included in the Management Committee’s legacy report for the overview and scrutiny work programme of the new Council, subject to the following:

c.    Add Air Quality (jointly with Health Select Committee) Task Group

d.    Include a new topic for the Environment Select Committee to look at issues around Development Control and the timely delivery of adoptable estates

e.    To add the Member Support in the Locality Task Group as member support was continually developing 

4.    That the next steps described in paragraph 10 of the report be noted.

The Committee is reminded that a remuneration scheme agreed by the Independent Remuneration Panel applies to duties undertaken by councillors in the overview and scrutiny arena. This currently amounts to £10,000 and is allocated at the discretion of the Chairman of the Management Committee. The Chairman is keen to be transparent in his dealings and has indicated his intention to apply the following principles to the allocation of payments. These are based on the original scheme devised in 2007 and refined over time in the light of experience and representations made.

·         Based on a share system per qualifying activity.

·         The more activity undertaken by a member the more shares they receive subject to a minimum attendance threshold of 50%.

·         The share value varies year on year depending on the number of qualifying activities and agreed budget.

·         Exclusion from the scheme for those members in receipt of an Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) under the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

·         Recognition that an ad hoc (rather than standing) activity that spanned more than one municipal year would only be counted once unless otherwise determined.

·         Increased value (x 2 shares) for being Chairman/Lead Member of a Task Group

·         Inclusion of committee briefings and fact finding exercises (to recognise the work done of select committee vice-chairmen not in receipt of an SRA)

·         Greater recognition of joint working with partners and attendance at networks (predominantly in the Health Scrutiny Arena).

This meeting of the Management Committee is the last scrutiny activity before the election. The allocation of shares and resulting payments to individual members will be finalised after the meeting and forwarded to payroll for processing. A covering letter on behalf of the Chairman will be sent to each member setting out how the payment was calculated.

The Committee is asked to note the arrangements for the allocation of scrutiny payments for 2012/13.

The Chairman reminded the Committee that the remuneration scheme agreed by the Independent Remuneration Panel applied to duties undertaken by councillors in the overview and scrutiny arena.  The current amount of £10,000 was allocated at the discretion of the Chairman of the Management Committee.

In noting that the Chairman wished to be transparent in his dealings with the payments, he indicated his intention was to apply the principles detailed in the agenda sheet to the allocation of payments, identical to last year. 

Members were informed that the principles were based on the original scheme devised in 2007 and refined over time in the light of experience and representations.  It was clarified that bullet point 4 on the agenda sheet referred to the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Scrutiny arena only.

Members in supporting the principles for the allocation of payments made observations about the commitment of some Councillors once they had been appointed to a Task Group and the detailed work commenced.    

It was suggested that there was a need to reward genuine commitment and this could be an issue to look at over the next twelve months.  However, a number of members were not convinced that the current remuneration  scheme made an impact on commitment and that it was more to do with having an interest in the topic and a feeling of making a difference that were the main factors.  Other comments made included the length taken to conduct a review, an opportunity for back benchers to become involved in Task Groups, the use of a pro-forma for the setting up of Task Groups and the level of understanding by the membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Resolved:

1.    That the arrangements for the allocation of scrutiny payments for 2012/13 as set out on the agenda sheet be agreed.

2.    That the Scrutiny remuneration scheme be reviewed over the next twelve months so that genuine commitment to Task Groups is rewarded in the most appropriate way.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The next meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee will take place at 10:30am on Thursday 23 May 2013 and will be held in Committee Rooms A-C, Monkton Park Offices, Chippenham.

That the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee would take place at 10:30am on Thursday 23 May 2013 and would be held in Committee Rooms A-C, Monkton Park Offices, Chippenham.