No apologies for absence were received at this meeting.

Members are reminded to consider the categories of interest in the Code of Conduct for Members to determine whether they have an interest in any agenda item and any action they should take. For further details, please see the attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

Members are reminded to declare the nature of the interest and the agenda item it relates to. Please note that ultimately it’s the Members’ responsibility to declare any interests form and to update their register of interest form as required by the Code.

If in doubt as to the nature of your interest, you are advised to seek advice prior to the meeting by contacting the Monitoring Officer or Democratic Services

The following Members for transparency declared a potential interest in relation to Item 9 Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions:

1. Councillor Marc Francis due to his wife Councillor Rachel Blake being the Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing; and
2. Councillor Ehtasham Haque due to wife Councillor Sabina Akhtar being the Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Brexit.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 25^th January, 2021 and 1^st February, 2021.

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED

That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 25^th January 2020 be approved as a correct record of the proceedings and the Chair was authorised to sign them accordingly.

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED

That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1^st February 2020 be approved as a correct record of the proceedings and the Chair was authorised to sign them accordingly.

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

Nil Items

To note the published Forward Plan

Noted

The Committee will receive an update from Somen Banerjee – Director of Public Health on the latest position in Tower Hamlets regarding Covid-19 (to be notified at the meeting).

The Committee received an update from Covid-19 from Somen Banerjee – Director of Public Health, the main points of the questioning maybe summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Was advised that since January there has been a significant improvement although the incidences of epidemic remain in the 25- to 34-year-olds and the 55- to 64-year-olds.

v  Noted that across the Borough the highest levels are in Poplar; Bromley by Bow and Shadwell and the disparity trends to continue by ethnicity and is particularly prevalent amongst the Black African and Bangladeshi populations.  Whilst there is still a disproportionately high number of cases in the Boroughs social housing.

v  Noted that 40,000 Tower Hamlets residents have now had at least the first douse in terms of the priority the initial priority groups 80% of 80yrs and above; 78% of 75yrs to 79yrs and 39% of the clinically extremely vulnerable group. Although it was noted that this category has now been expanded from 9,000 based on the original criterion to 25,000 to the new criterion as clinically extremely vulnerable based on social variables such as ethnicity; deprivation and body-mass index.  This has a particular effect on Tower Hamlets relative to other London boroughs as the number of clinically extremely vulnerable and has increased to a higher level than other boroughs across North-East London primarily because of ethnicity and deprivation.

v  Noted that those individuals who are not taking up vaccine will be contacted to talk through if they have any issues about the vaccines and how those issues can be resolved.

v  Noted that from the 1st of February 2021 a Vaccine Helpline funded by LBTH and supported with training and resources by GP Care Group had been established and is now open 7 days per week, between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm with multilingual staff to (i) answer queries; (ii) contact those who are vaccine hesitant; (iii) book appointments to local clinics and mass vaccination centres.

v  Accepted that the impact of COVID-19 on communities was going to rely in part on the quality of communication regarding health risk and danger. Any co-ordinated approach by partners and stakeholders needs to take full account of the way life conditions, cultural values, and risk experience affect actions during a pandemic. Unfamiliarity with sociocultural, economic, psychological, and health factors within any community can jeopardise effective communication at all levels.

v  Was advised that people with Learning Difficulties will now be prioritised for a Covid vaccine as they face a higher risk of death from Covid-19 and so will now be moved up the priority list.

v  Noted that the Government is piloting a new diagnostic test, called a lateral flow test, for detecting the virus that causes Covid and to prioritise schools so when students go back to school, they will be given lateral flow tests in the school. However, the purpose of these lateral flow tests is to familiarise them with taking these tests at home so that it becomes part of routine life  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Cabinet reports will be published next week on Tuesday, 23rd February, 2021 and once published can be viewed via this Link

The Committee received and commented on the strategic delivery and performance report for quarter 3 2020/21. The main points raised in the discussion on the report may be summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Noted that 15 performance indicators have been met or are exceeding their target and 8 are between the target and the minimum expectation, while 13 are falling short. Whilst the remaining 20 indicators are data only measures, do not have an outturn this quarter or they are based on the annual residents’ survey which is due to take place in quarter 4.

v  Noted that due to Covid some indicators for which data collection have been suspended or are not possible at present.

v  Expressed concern that the number of adults supported into employment by the WorkPath service have fallen short of the minimum expectation as the labour market in the Borough continues to be particularly affected by the Covid and the lockdown measures to contain it. Also, like Inner London generally Tower Hamlets has experienced sharper decreases in those in paid employment when compared to Outer London.

v  Noted that a greater proportion of Londoners across all age groups are now claiming unemployment related benefits compared with the rest of the Country.

v  Expressed concern that younger people, especially those who have recently left education, have been especially hard hit by the economic impact of the pandemic. With youth unemployment increasing significantly.

v  Stated that supporting and encouraging employers to provide opportunities for young people to access work experience, employment and training opportunities during this difficult period is vital. Previous recessions have highlighted the damaging long-term consequences of a period of unemployment when young to future earnings and employment outcomes, as well as on mental and physical health.

v  Indicated their concern that in Quarter 2 the target for 22 per cent of household waste recycling was missed with only 19.8 per cent being achieved.  However, officers (i) are redesigning the Service to improve recycling rates; (ii) are continuing to communicate the importance of recycling to residents and landlords to try and drive behavioural change; and (iii) can provide the Quarter 3 figures to the Committee once they become available.

v  Noted that street cleansing service has been affected adversely by Covid as (i) a significant number of regular staff have been absent due to illness and/or self-isolation; and (ii) there has been a behavioural change in the Borough with people being at home has impacted on the cleanliness of local parks and seen the introduction of new technology to help identify hotspots and target resources to those areas quickly.

v  Indicated that it was important to work with residents and businesses of Tower Hamlets to encourage and enable ways of dealing with waste

v  Supported the Councils intention to collaborate with and provide leadership to businesses, housing associations and others that have a responsibility for managing waste.

v  Recognised the challenges faced by the Service with (i) the number of businesses and people working  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.1

The Committee received and commented on the Council’s projected outturn position against General Fund, Dedicated Schools Budget, Housing Revenue Account, and earmarked reserves for 2020-21, based on forecasts as of 31st December 2020. The main points of the discussion arising from questioning on the report may be summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Noted that (i) the General Fund forecast position is a net overspend of £2.9m, a £3.2m deterioration on the P8 forecast; (ii) there is an underlying overspend of £15.2m in services (before contributions from reserves of £13m); and (iii) there are significant savings to be delivered in 2021/22, so strategically these are very challenging circumstances.

v  Was troubled to note that (i) any overspend at the year-end will have to be financed from reserves; and (ii) the reserves position remains uncertain pending the delayed closure and audit of the Council’s accounts for the period 2016 – 2020.

v  Was concerned that the Council’s response to the pandemic continues to overlay considerable complexity and uncertainty to forecasting, given that the financial impact ranges from additional expenditure requirements, increases in demand from vulnerable clients, consequential losses of income, unachievable savings and for services having to work differently.

v  Was informed that the forecasting in this area is also affected both by the unknown length of the emergency and indeed the extent and depth of any consequential recession. Therefore, it was important the Council gets great clarity in respect of reporting and monitoring if it is to address it’s a “very challenging” financial position and delivers the planned savings.

v  Was advised that Tower Hamlets as are all councils is finding it impossible to plan for the pandemic as the Council is in the middle of trying to deliver services and the financial position has been running behind the delivery of services.

v  Was informed that the underspend on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is to do with the day-to-day maintenance and repairs programme and not the long-term capital programme

v  Wanted to know how the Council intends (i) to develop forecasts and projections to highlight areas of likely financial failure and to move to financial sustainability; (ii) to spend the Covid Emergency Funding for related expenditure.

v  Noted that due to Covid whilst the Council has had underspends in Housing; Regeneration; Public Realm; Planning; Building Control that are not expected to see replicated in future years.

v  Commented that if the Council is going to arrest the ongoing decline of the reserves it is essential that the responsible officers spend within their budgets.

v  Wanted to receive an explanation on the reasons for the overspend in regarding Homeless Services

In conclusion, the Chair:

A.   Thanked Councillor Candida Ronald; Kevin Bartle; and Hitesh Jolapara for their presentation and to all members for their contributions in the discussions on this topic; and

B.   Indicated that the following should be added to the Committees Action Log (i) details of necessary and additional Covid-19 expenditure; (ii) the development of forecasts and projections to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.2

The Committee received and commented on the Community Safety Partnership Plan 2021-23. The main points of the discussion on the report may be summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Welcomed the partnership Community Safety Plan for 2021-24 and the priorities set out in the plan.

v  Noted that the Crime and Anti-social behaviour continue to be a key priority for residents as highlighted in the Annual Residents Survey. From the 2019 survey we know 48% of residents said that crime and ASB as their top concern.

v  Noted a number of indicators on concerns about ASB being problem that had risen over the year including:

A.   People using or dealing drugs.

B.   People being drunk or rowdy.

C.   Noisy neighbours; and

D.   Vandalism and graffiti.

v  Noted in the report the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on crime and ASB and as there was no Annual Residents Survey last year these indicators were also likely to rise. The Committee was pleased therefore that tackling neighbourhood crime and ASB is reflected as a priority in the Plan.

v  Noted that LBTH had the highest level of reported ASB in London and that Covid and lockdown measures were contributing to rise in demand. It also noted that substance misuse is one the key drivers for ASB. The Community Safety Partnership confirmed that it was managing ASB levels using engagement, support and enforcement model for people engaged in substance misuse. 

v  Wanted to ensure partnership work with RSLs is reflected in the plan. Many larger ones are focused on addressing ASB with patrol services like Parkguard. It is particularly key LBTH ensures THH are achieving value for money from their ASB services now that patrol services have been passed directly to tenants and leaseholders.

v  Questioned whether increase reporting of ASB a good sign of people’s confidence in systems for reporting is is or whether it was as a result of people seeing more ASB.

v  Wanted to see performance indicators against the outcomes that the partnership is seeking to achieve to enable the partnership to measure progress and also for the public to be able to hold agencies to account.

v  Wanted to see the delivery plan on tackling neighbourhood crime and ASB and have an opportunity to feed into this.

v  Indicated that given the on-going discussion about the Chinese Embassy and the need for visible and protective security this should be a key priority.

v  Stressed the need for clear communication to residents about how to report ASB and who is responsible for addressing as there is still confusion amongst residents as they are passed on by agencies.

v  Agreed that engaging, empowering, and hearing the voice and concerns of local residents needs to be at the forefront of the delivery and annual review of the plan.

In conclusion, the Chair:

A.   Thanked Councillor Sirajul Islam; Denise Radley; and Ann Corbett for their presentation and to all members for their contributions in the deliberations on this topic.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.3

Councillor James King vacated the Chair and withdrew from the meeting. Councillor Bex White assumed the Chair for the rest of the meeting.

The Committee received and noted a report on the Idea Store and Library Services Scrutiny Challenge Session. The main points of the discussion on the report is outlined below:

The Committee noted that:

v  Councillor Leema Qureshi had decided to hold a Finance and Resource Scrutiny Challenge Session to focus on the Council’s revised approach to Idea Stores and library services.

v  The Challenge Session had been underpinned by the following core questions:

A.   To what extent of change will the revised approach for Idea Stores and library services impact on user groups from the community? What are the planned mitigation options and what’s the evidence from users and residents?

B.   Based on the public engagement what can be learnt and taken forward or changed about the suggested proposals for the revised approach to Idea Stores and library services?

C.   What is the five-year vision for the future for the future of the Idea Stores and library services including future funding proposals and risk implications?

v  The Challenge Session held virtually on 28 January 2021 was chaired by Councillor Leema Qureshi (Scrutiny Lead for Finance and Resources). The session had been structured to included: Chair’s overview - reason for the enquiry and session outcome, was a presentation from the service led by Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Brexit supported by council officers, Youth Council representatives provided service user feedback, Voluntary Sectors Children and Youth Forum Coordinator provided an external perspective from the Third Sector.  The Challenge Session had resulted in the development of a number of recommendations set out in the attached report:

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the attached Idea Stores and Library Services Scrutiny Challenge Session Report and agree the recommendations; and

2.    Agreed to submit the attached report to the Mayor and Cabinet for an executive response.

The Committee received a report that outlined the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s (OSC) Challenge Session examining how the Council applies evidence-based and best practice to influence resident behaviour to boost recycling. A summary of the discussion on the report is outlined as follows:

The Committee noted that:

v  The former Scrutiny Lead for Environment and Community Safety, Councillor Bex White had decided to hold this Challenge Session with the focus on how the Council applies evidence-based and best practice to influence resident behaviour change to boost recycling rates?

v  Tower Hamlets had performed poorly in terms of recycling waste (23.2% of total waste is recycled) compared to other boroughs (Bexley 54.1%, Waltham Forest 31.6%, Greenwich 33.4%, Hackney 27.9%, City of London 29.9%) with only Newham lower at 16.9%.  Whilst Executive Mayor John Biggs had set an ambitious target for Tower Hamlets of 35% recycling by 2022.

v  The Challenge Session had aimed to understand how the Council has responded to the flagging recycling rates in the Borough, with a particular focus on influencing resident behaviour.

v  The Challenge Session had been underpinned by the following core questions:

A.   To what extent is evidence based and external research applied in how the Council uses its resources to achieve behaviour change on recycling?

B.   How is the Council using outcomes of pilot projects to improve mainstream delivery?

C.   How is the Council maximising the influence on residents including those schools who are very committed to increasing recycling?

D.   Can the Council highlight any insights (behavioural change) on campaigns for resident engagement on recycling and the impact?

v  The Challenge Session had been held virtually on 23 September 2020 and chaired by Councillor Bex White commencing with a Chair’s overview, followed by a joint presentation form the former Cabinet Member for Environment and Public Realm, Councillor Asma Islam, supported by council officers.

v  Resource London had also been invited to the session as they are (i) a London-wide partnership programme; and (ii) the Government efficiency resource body.

v  Resource London works closely with Tower Hamlets Waste and Recycling Service and they had provided an external perspective on insights from research such as factors influencing recycling behaviour change.

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the attached Scrutiny Challenge Session Report on how the Council applies evidence-based and best practice to influence resident behaviour change to boost recycling rates and agree the recommendations; and

2.    Agree to submit the attached report to the Mayor and Cabinet for an executive response.

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

(Time allocated – 30 minutes).

Following comments by the Committee the Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions (PDSQ) were agreed for submission to the Cabinet on the 3^rd March 2021 (See attached appendix).

The Committee are asked to note the updates from Scrutiny Leads.

The Committee noted the updates that had been submitted from the Scrutiny Leads (See attached appendix).

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

Noted

As the agenda circulated contained no exempt/ confidential reports and

there was therefore no requirement to exclude the press and public to allow

for its consideration.

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

Nil Items