Agenda item

To consider a report by the Democratic Services Manager (copy attached) which updates members on the progress made towards establishing a formal a joint scrutiny committee for Conwy and Denbighshire Councils to scrutinise the joint Public Services Board (PSB).  The Committee is also asked to consider the draft terms of reference and rules of procedure for the joint committee

11am – 11.30am

The Democratic Services Manager introduced his report and appendices (previously circulated) which outlined the progress made in relation to a proposal to establish a formal joint scrutiny committee between Conwy County Borough Council and Denbighshire County Council for the future scrutiny of the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board (PSB). 

During his introduction the Democratic Services Manager outlined the background to the proposal and the statutory responsibilities placed on local authorities to scrutinise the PSB for their area, all of which were detailed in the report.  He also outlined the democratic journey taken to date within both Conwy and Denbighshire councils and the PSB itself, along with the conclusions of the discussions on the proposed arrangements at each individual forum.  If both Denbighshire’s Partnerships Scrutiny Committee at the current meeting, and Conwy’s Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 2 July, were supportive of the proposed new arrangements, they would then be presented to each authority’s Democratic Services Committee for consideration prior to being submitted to full Council in both authorities in October for approval to proceed to establish a Joint Scrutiny Committee for the purpose of scrutinising the PSB.

Responding to members’ questions the Head of Democratic Services:

·         confirmed that the size of the proposed Joint Scrutiny Committee was yet to be determined.  The draft terms of reference proposed a committee comprising of 12 members, six from each of the constituent councils.  A joint committee of 12 members was being proposed as it was felt that a forum of this size would aid constructive, effective challenge and debate.  A far larger committee could potentially prove to be unwieldy and therefore unable to fulfil its intended purpose.  However, the size of the Committee could be changed at any point, including following its establishment, if both Councils agreed to the change;

·         advised that the Regulations governing the establishment of a joint committee stipulated that any joint scrutiny committee had to comprise of an equal number of representatives from each local authority that were members of the joint committee.  In appointing to the joint committee each Council would be required to do so based on the political balance of its authority;

·         explained that the proposal was being submitted to a number of different committees within both authorities, prior to seeking County Council’s permission to establish a joint scrutiny committee, as it was important to seek wider Council membership support for the proposal before presenting it to County Council for approval;

·         advised that as it was anticipated that the joint committee, if established, would possibly in the first few years only meet approximately twice a year a suggestion had been made that the chair should therefore be appointed for a two year term.  This was only a proposal and was therefore open for discussion; and

·         no decision had yet been made on who would be the host authority for administration purposes for the proposed joint Scrutiny Committee, or whether this would alternate between both councils.  Such discussions would commence once the views of both Councils’ scrutiny functions had been sought.

At the conclusion of the discussion Committee members were firmly of the view that a Joint Scrutiny Committee of 12 members, 6 from each Council, was the preferred choice for the purpose of effectively scrutinising the PSB and that the Joint Scrutiny Committee when established might wish to determine the term of office of the Chair and Vice-Chair.  Consequently the Committee:

Resolved: - subject to the above observations to –

(i)           support the establishment of a formal joint Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board; and

(ii)          endorse the draft terms of reference and rules of procedure for the joint Scrutiny Committee