Apologies for absence were received from Nozrul Mustafa; Dr Phillip Rice; Councillor Mahbub Alam; Councillor Amina Ali and Councillor Oliur Rahman.

To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992.  See attached note from the Interim Monitoring Officer.

None

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 7^th July, 2015.

The Chair Moved and it was:-

RESOLVED

That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 7^th July, 2015 be approved as a correct record of the proceedings.

To receive any petitions (to be notified at the meeting).

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The Committee received a report that the outlined the recommendations for supporting the delivery of successful town centres (high streets and markets)   It was noted that it is widely recognised that town centres, high streets and markets are vital in supporting opportunities in employment, social capital and economic growth in the area. However, there are many challenges facing town centres including changes in the way people shop, changes in the population demographic, strategic competition and national legislation.  In addition, the population demographic of people who live and work in the borough has changed over recent years, becoming more ethnically diverse with more households with an income of above £60,000.  Therefore evolving the offer and encouraging new businesses which can capitalise on the needs of new consumers is an essential part of ensuring town centres can thrive.  The main points of the discussion may be summarised as follows.

The Committee:

• Wanted to be advised on what work was being undertaken in the new growth areas and felt that it was important to focus upon development of a “sense of place” in the high roads, high streets and identifiable town or village centres of Tower Hamlets.  In addition, that the recommendations contained within the report should be used to inform the future evolution of the Local Development Framework. 
• Heard that the development of a Business Improvement District (BID), where local businesses in a location vote to invest collectively to improve their environment, was being investigated as an option for Shoreditch.
• Heard that once the review was agreed, it would be submitted to Cabinet with an action plan for approval.
• Heard that the Director and his team are working to build the recommendations contained within into the Local Development Framework which itself will be subjected to further scrutiny.

Accordingly, the Committee

RESOLVED to:

Agree the draft report and the recommendations contained in it;

Request that the report be submitted directly to the Mayor, the chair of the Development and Strategic Development Committees, and Cllr Dave Chesterton, in advance of the action plan’s development and approval; and

Authorise the Service Head for Strategy & Equality to amend the draft report before submission to Cabinet, after consultation with the Scrutiny Review Group.

The Committee received a monitoring report that detailed the financial outturn position of the Council at the end of Quarter 4 compared to budget, and service performance against targets.  This included that projected year-end position for the:

1. General Fund Revenue, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme;
2. Summary of the movement on Reserves; and
3. An overview of performance for all of the reportable strategic measures.

Whilst the main points of the discussion in relation this report have been summarised and incorporated within the appendix to these minutes the Committee did raise the following specific issues:

The Committee:

1. Wished to receive a copy of the list of Tower Hamlets Councils public assets;
2. Wanted to know when the review of the Youth Services Administrative Support Functions would be completed; and
3. Indicated that with regard to New School Governor Induction Training that it be confirmed that Governors are made aware of their disclosable “interests”.

The Committee will receive presentations on the following:

1.    Introduction and Scope;

2.    A citizen journalist’s perspective;

3.    Freedom of Information; and

4.    Public notice, consultation and decision making on Licensing and Development Committees.

The Committee received and noted presentations from local journalists and bloggers Mark Baynes and Ted Jeory, about local transparency, including how the Council can be more transparent; how residents could be better informed about Council activity, processes and decisions; how councillors could be supported to make more transparent decisions; how decision makers could be held to account transparently. Officers also presented to the committee on how the Council responds to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and communication of information and decision-making regarding licensing and development.

In addition, the Committee received and noted the following questions submitted by Muhammad Haque:

What is the Tower Hamlets Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s priority?

a)    In the context of the most serious concerns that have been openly and publicly expressed by the lack of accountability, lack of transparency, lack of due diligence and lack of democracy in the behaviour of the LBTH Council?

b)    As made by all the known and public sources?

c)    Including and especially by a number of judges, at least ten MPs, at least four Government Ministers and in numerous comments published in print, online and in radio and TV programmes in the past two years?

d)    What is the position of the Tower Hamlets Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee at this stage in answer to the Question from the Community - why is there not an audit and transparency route in place in the Council at present?

e)    What priority as the Tower Hamlets Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee attached to the concerns, knowledge, opinions on the absence of transparency and accountability among ordinary members of the Community across Tower Hamlets?

In their presentations and subsequent discussion, the local journalists expressed the following views:

• The Council Tax payer’s interests should come before commercial and business interests.
• Councillor/Chief Officer allowances; property; expenses; business interests and hospitality received should be published
• The cost of each internal advertising in East End Life;
• Mayoral Executive Decisions should not be published in a Portable Document Format;
• The Council should publish redacted versions of MAB/CMT minutes;
• The culture of the organisation should be open and unrestricted;
• The Council should publish all credit card transactions over £10.00 and those payments of £100 to suppliers – They need to be easily identifiable so that there is a clear audit trail i.e. each supplier should have a unique identifier;
• The Council should publish if a Councillor has stood for more than one political party and who proposed and seconded them so that the public know that they are bona fide;

Other points made by the committee were:

• More Council meetings should be held at community venues;
• The Council should publish Councillors’ timesheets;
• There should be greater involvement of the Young Mayor more in Council meetings.
• The Best Value Plan (under organisational culture) should also consider policy and procedures for whistleblowing and should look to the report by Sir Robert Francis following the inquiry into Mid–Staffordshire Hospital as a model for developing this.
• Details should be provided about who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.3

The Chair informed the Committee that a Planning Session would be held on 1^st September, 2015 to look at the Forward Work Programme.

To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.

(Time allocated – 30 minutes).

As a result of a full and wide ranging discussion on the reports to be considered by Cabinet on the 28^th July, 2015 a number of questions were raised.  These questions together with the responses received are set out in the appendix attached to these minutes.

To consider any other unrestricted business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

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The Chair Moved and it was: -

Resolved:

That in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contained information defined as exempt or confidential in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government, Act 1972.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the restricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 7^th July, 2015.

The Chair Moved and it was:-

RESOLVED

That the restricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 7^th July, 2015 be approved as a correct record of the proceedings.

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To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.

(Time allocated 15 minutes).

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To consider any other exempt/ confidential business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

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