Agenda item

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

A copy of a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator, which requested the Committee to review and agree its Forward Work Programme and provided an update on relevant issues, had been circulated with the papers for the meeting.  Various appendices were attached to the report, references to which were included in the report.

The Scrutiny Coordinator referred to the draft Forward Work Programme (FWP) for future meetings as detailed in Appendix 1, which had been inherited from the former Committee.  She referred to paragraph 4 of the report which set out the terms of reference and functions of the Committee, and highlighted the importance of the role of the Performance Scrutiny committee within the scrutiny process.  Members agreed with the suggestion that a Workshop be convened to assist in identifying and clarifying the role of the Performance Scrutiny Committee with regard to performance management within the Authority and the role of the Corporate Governance Committee. 

The Committee considered the draft FWP and it was agreed that the Workshop could also be utilised to examine the FWP.  The Scrutiny Coordinator explained she had received a verbal request to defer the item on Planning Enforcement, currently scheduled for the July, 2012 meeting, and made reference to the excessive number of 10 items schedule for consideration at the September, 2012 meeting.  Members agreed that the Planning Enforcement item be deferred and that a workshop on performance management, and the Committee’s FWP, be held prior to its business meeting on the 26^th July, 2012.  The Workshop to commence at 9.30 a.m. and the public meeting to start at 11.15 a.m.

The Committee considered the appointment of Committee Representatives on the following Council Groups and Boards:-

Service Performance Challenge Groups – all Scrutiny Committees had been invited to appoint a representative to each Group to act as the Committee’s contact for each service.  An overview of the process had been included at Appendix 5 to the report.  It was emphasised that the service leads appointed by the Performance Scrutiny Committee had an important and defined role to play in supporting and challenging services to deliver against their performance targets, business and efficiencies plans.   The following Members were appointed:-

Housing & Community Development – Councillor C.L. Hughes 

Children and family Services – Councillor A. Roberts

Adult & Business Services – Councillor C. Hughes

Environmental Services – Councillor R.J. Davies

Legal & Democratic Services and Business – Councillor W.L. Cowie

Business Planning and Performance – C.L. Hughes

Education and Customers & Education Support – Councillor A. Roberts

Communications, Marketing & Leisure – Councillor G.Lloyd-Williams

Finance & Assets – Councillor I.W. Armstrong

Regeneration – Councillor G. Sandilands

Highways & Infrastructure – Councillor P.W. Owen

Planning & Public Protection – Councillor M.Ll. Davies

Strategic Human Resources – Councillor H. Hilditch-Roberts

Strategic Investment Group - Members appointed Councillor G. Sandilands to serve on the Strategic Investment Group, which would meet on a monthly basis to consider the Council’s future capital requirements and bids for capital funding and external grants.  The terms of reference of the Group had been included as Appendix 6 to the report.

Conwy and Denbighshire Collaboration Programme Board - The report outlined the membership and role of the Board and a copy of the Board’s terms of reference had been included at Appendix 7 to the report.       The Committee agreed that Councillor A. Roberts be appointed to serve as its representative on the Board and                      Councillor C. Hughes as the Committee's substitute representative on the Group in the event of Councillor Roberts being unable to attend.   Following further discussion, it was:-

RESOLVED – that:-

(a)                                          the Planning Enforcement item be deferred until the autumn of 2012.

(b)                                          a Workshop be convened on the 26^th July, 2012 at 9.30 a.m., with the business meeting commencing at 11.15 a.m.

(c)                                                the Members listed above be appointed to serve on each of the Service Performance Challenge Groups.

(d)                                          Councillor G. Sandilands be nominated to serve on the Council’s Strategic Investment Group, and

(e)                                          Councillor A. Roberts to nominated serve on the Conwy and Denbighshire Collaboration Programme Board, with Councillor C. Hughes as the substitute representative.