Issue - meetings

To receive the annual report of the Scrutiny Committee presented by Councillor Dean.

Councillor Dean presented the annual report of the Scrutiny Committee. 

The report included a summary of the review of the Council’s scrutiny functions and practices undertaken by the Centre for Public Scrutiny.  This had stated that the primary function of the Scrutiny Committee was to hold the Cabinet to account.  It had concluded that this role had not been carried out as rigorously as it should have been.  It was the role of the Committee to scrutinise the executive even if this sometimes resulted in stark newspaper headlines.

The report would be discussed more fully by the Cabinet in May.

Councillor Chambers agreed that Cabinet members should attend Scrutiny meetings more regularly and asked Councillor Dean to include that intention in his report.

In responding to these comments, Councillor Rolfe said the report was balanced although he acknowledged it was critical in parts.  He would ensure that members of the Cabinet attended Scrutiny meetings whenever appropriate but did not think it necessary for all Cabinet members to attend all of the time.

The Council noted the annual Scrutiny report.