Report to follow. Appendix 1 is attached.

The Chair invited Councillor Pierce, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to comment on the report. He informed Commissioners that the Council had considered where the Cross Party Forum to review grants should lie.  Since the function of the Forum was review, it was deemed that this role should be performed by a scrutiny body as the scrutiny function was in keeping with purpose of the Forum.  A subcommittee of 5 members plus co-optees (to be confirmed) was established to perform the review function hitherto carried out by the Cross Party Forum.  Its terms of reference would include enhanced disclosure of interests to fulfil aims around transparency.  The subcommittee would be trialled over a three-month period and then reviewed.

The Chair invited Councillor Saunders and Councillor Golds to comment on the report and they indicated that they supported the proposals.

Commissioners welcomed the initiation of the scrutiny of grants and regarded this as a positive development.  They were informed that arrangements for the scrutiny of grants would follow the same pattern as Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meetings. 

The Chair noted that Commissioners’ aim was that long-term arrangement be established and asked for a report outlining proposals concerning arrangements for the delivery of grants once commissioners had retired from their responsibilities.

RESOLVED

1. That the outcomes reported by Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted
2. That the proposals that future grant requests be reviewed by a Scrutiny Grants Sub-Committee be endorsed for the duration of the trial.
3. That a report outlining proposals concerning arrangements for the delivery of grants once commissioners had retired from their responsibilities be brought to a future meeting.

The Committee noted that following a Best Value Inspection undertaken by Price Waterhouse Coopers during 2014, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government issued the Council with Directions on 17^th December 2014.  The Directions focused on particular areas which had been the subject of the Best Value inspection and included grants.

As part of the Directions, it was noted that a Grants Action Plan had been developed and agreed.  As part of that Plan, a recommendation was to review arrangements post Commissioners for future executive decision-making and the action arising was to establish a cross party working group to develop proposals for future arrangements.  A proposal was put to the Commissioners at their Decision Making Meeting on 1^st March 2016 that a Sub-Committee of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should act as the “cross-party forum” to be established to review Officer recommendations prior to their consideration at a Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting and this proposal was agreed.  The Commissioners agreed to receive a further report setting out the details of the Committee arrangements. 

A summary of the discussions on this report is set out below:

• Agreed that any decision relating to the composition of the Sub-Committee should be made independently of any political bias;
• The exact number needed to be settled and the Sub-Committee should also include in its membership co-opted non-voting members;
• Agreed that training would be required to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by Elected and Co-opted Members; and
• Agreed Nominees should be sought from the Leaders of the 3 political groups for members of this Sub-Committee.

As a result of the discussions on this report including the appendices relating to Terms of Reference and the Forward Plan the Committee:

1. Agreed to add to the Overview and Scrutiny work programme, the review of Officer recommendations regarding grants and award of grants prior to their consideration at a Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting;
2. Agreed to the establishment of an Overview and Scrutiny Grants Sub-Committee which will act as a scrutiny panel to undertake the reviews in recommendation 1 above;
3. Considered and agreed the terms of reference; forward plan; chairing arrangements; and training programme for such Sub-Committee as set out in Appendix A and B of the report;
4. Considered and concluded that the composition of the Sub-Committee should be settled on five elected members, namely the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny (or his/ her nominated Deputy) and two other Members of Overview and Scrutiny Committee from the administration and one each from the opposition parties with the addition of co-opted non-voting members, the exact number to be agreed; and
5. Agreed that a report would be presented to Overview and Scrutiny Committee in 3 months to review the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Grants Sub-Committee and whether changes need to be made to its Terms of Reference or composition.