Issue - meetings
Tower Hamlets Constitution - Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules
Meeting: 14/12/2020 - Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Item 9)
9 SCRUTINY PROCEDURE RULES PDF 254 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Committee received a report that provided an outline of the review of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules. A summary of the discussions on the report is outlined as follows:
The Committee noted that:
- During the review of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Part B of the Council’s Constitution, section 30), Corporate Strategy and Policy it was found that some terms, processes, and arrangements needed to be updated to reflect current practice and improve clarity.
- In a report, submitted for General Purposes Committee on the 8th December 2020, it had agreed that the Councillor Call for Action should be more explicit. In summary, the proposed changes being (i) To the role of overview and scrutiny add: Consider any local matter referred to the Committee by a Councillor in accordance with the Council’s Councillor Call for Action procedure; (ii) Overview and Scrutiny Committee terms of reference to include: To consider any local government matter referred to the Committee by a Councillor in accordance with section 9FC(c) of the Local Government Act 2000 which is relevant to the functions of the committee and is not an excluded matter; (iii) Under ‘Agenda Items’ add a reference to Councillor Call for Action and updating the list of excluded matters.
- Regarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee Co-opted Members it had been agreed that the number of such members go from six to two. With the six co-opted members now on the Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee.
- The Scrutiny Sub-Committee would now be able to (i) hold five times a year instead of the current four; and (ii) to change the Sub-Committee theme if felt appropriate.
- The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will report to Council, Cabinet or the Mayor or appropriate Cabinet Member and make recommendations as appropriate. All reports from Scrutiny Sub-Committees will be agreed by the relevant sub-committee and the Chair of that Committee will provide an update at the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. If the report cannot be agreed by the Sub-Committee, or if there are not any meetings of Sub-Committee, and in other exceptional circumstances, the report can be agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Once it has formed recommendations on proposals for development, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Sub-Committees will prepare a formal report and submit it to the Executive Mayor and relevant Cabinet Member and Senior Officers for consideration and a formal response (if the proposals are consistent with the existing budgetary and policy framework) or to Council as appropriate (E.g. if the recommendation would require a departure from or a change to the agreed budget and policy framework).
- Following discussions with the Mayor’s Office non-executive councillors would now exclude any paid Mayor advisers.
The Chair Moved and it was: -
RESOLVED to:
1. Note the outdated terms, and processes and arrangements needing clarification in the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Part B of the Council’s Constitution section 30);
2. Recommended an amendment precluding paid Mayoral Advisers from the Membership of ... view the full minutes text for item 9