The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report which seeks the Committee’s agreement to the adoption of a set of scrutiny operating principles for the 2023/24 Council year, the establishment of standing panels and review groups, the appointment of standing panel and review group chairs and a proposed work plan to September 2023. The recommendations are set out in the report.

The Scrutiny Officer introduced the report which asked the Committee to approve the Scrutiny Operating Principles for the 2023/24 Council year, which were broadly similar to previous years.

It was proposed that the Standing Panel and Review Group arrangements from the previous year be re-established, including continuation of the revised arrangements for Companies Scrutiny Panel.

The Scrutiny Officer suggested that the Committee considered the proposed change to the meetings of standing panels and review groups to be held virtually, taking into account additional resources required for in-person and hybrid meetings.

The Chair reminded the Committee to send ideas for Scrutiny-commissioned reports or potential review groups to the Scrutiny Officer in the coming weeks to help formulate the work plan.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Agree the proposed Committee Operating Principles for the 2023/24 municipal year, as set out at Appendix A.

2.    Agree to establish the following standing panels for the 2023/24 municipal year with the following remits and timeframes:

                      i.        Finance and Performance Panel – finance and budgetary issues and decisions, annual review of the Council’s budget, quarterly monitoring of finance and performance (including performance of the Council’s companies);

                    ii.        Housing and Homelessness Panel – strategic housing and landlord issues and decisions, homelessness, housing services performance and interaction with the Tenant’s Forum;

                   iii.        Climate and Environment Panel – climate and environmental issues and decisions, progress and performance monitoring, monitoring delivery of existing strategies, policies and projects;

                   iv.        Companies Scrutiny Panel - executive decisions made in relation to any companies wholly or partly owned by the Council.

3.    Agree to establish a Budget Review Group, comprising the membership of the Finance & Performance Panel, noting that the proposed scope will be agreed at a future Scrutiny Committee meeting.

4.    Agree the schedule of meetings as presented within the report.

5.    Agree the allocation of seats on standing panels to political groups for 2023/24 (Finance and Performance Panel: 4, Housing and Homelessness Panel: 6, Climate and Environment Panel: 4, Companies Scrutiny Panel: 4 are recommended).

6.    Agree to appoint members and chairs of the Finance and Performance, Housing and Homelessness, Climate and Environment and Companies Scrutiny Panels or any other panels as agreed by the Committee in accordance with nominations made by political groups.

o   Housing and Homelessness Panel:  Cllr Lizzy Diggins (Chair), Cllr Dunne, Cllr Fouweather, Cllr Nala-Hartley, Cllr Rawle, Cllr Sandelson

o   Finance and Performance Panel:   Cllr Fry (Chair), Cllr Djafari-Marbini, Cllr Jarvis, Cllr Smowton

o   Climate and Environment Panel:   Cllr Hollingsworth (Chair), Cllr Dunne, Cllr Kerr, Cllr Miles

o   Companies Scrutiny Panel:   Cllr Rowley (Chair), Cllr Miles, Cllr Morris, Cllr Walcott

7.    Agree that the Chair of the Finance and Performance Panel will Chair the Budget Review Group.

8.    Agree

                      i.        The preliminary Work Plan covering the period to September 2023 as detailed at Appendix B; and

                    ii.        That Committee members will send ideas for topics for Scrutiny-commissioned reports to the Scrutiny Officer by e-mail for consideration at the Committee’s 04 July meeting.

9.    Note the Scrutiny Guide for Councillors at Appendix D.