Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the Committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues.

12pm – 12.20pm

The Scrutiny Co-ordinator introduced the report and appendices (previously circulated) which sought the Committee to review its programme of future work. 

The Committee was advised that the deferral of the presentation of the progress report on Christ the Word School from the current meeting’s business agenda to November’s meeting had led to the Committee having too many items listed for discussion on that meeting’s business agenda to facilitate a fair airing for each subject. 

As some of the items listed for November’s meeting were time sensitive members suggested holding a morning and afternoon session, or two meetings on separate days, to transact the required business.  However, officers advised that pressures on the Council’s committee meetings timetable and staffing resources to support additional sessions/meetings would make it extremely difficult to arrange and support the holding of two meetings/sessions within the same month. 

A suggestion was therefore made to enquire with the Chair of Communities Scrutiny Committee to see whether that committee could assume the role of monitoring the Council’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan, as members felt that the Strategy was more closely aligned to Communities Scrutiny Committee’s remit than that of Performance Scrutiny Committee.  If Communities Scrutiny Committee agreed to undertake this role it would render Performance Scrutiny Committee’s workload more manageable for the remainder of the calendar year.  The Scrutiny Co-ordinator agree to enquire on the Committee’s behalf.

Members were advised that the next meeting of the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group (SCVCG) was scheduled for 16 September and therefore any requests for items to be scrutinised should be submitted to the Scrutiny Co-ordinator on the form attached at Appendix 2 to the report well in advance of that meeting.  Appendix 3 contained the Cabinet’s Forward Work Programme for members’ information whilst Appendix 4 gave an overview of the progress to date in relation to the Committee’s recommendations from its previous meeting. 

The Committee:

Resolved:  subject to the above -

(i) that, with a view to alleviating pressures on the Committee’s time and forward work programme, a formal request be made to Communities Scrutiny Committee to consider the forthcoming progress report on Denbighshire’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan; and

(ii) to confirm the Committee’s forward work programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.