Minutes:
6.1 The chair hoped that all three sub-committees would achieve a high quality of reports in the forthcoming year. She felt that it was important for the committee to maintain an overview of the work of the sub-committees. With the smaller number of sub-committees and the expanded terms of reference it was even more important that work programmes be seen as meaningful and relevant by local residents and take up issues that were of strategic importance to the council.
6.2 The chair reported that she had met with the vice-chair to discuss the way forward for developing work plans. Their view was that sub-committees remained best placed for conducting longer term investigative reports while the parent committee was able to focus more successfully on issues that arose at short notice and could be dealt with by brief scrutinies. The chair suggested that sub-committees might be expected to produce a minimum of two reports during the year, to set at least one topic before the summer recess and to revisit the work plan mid-year. It was agreed that members of the committee forward any proposed scrutiny topics for sub-committees to the vice-chair by 1 July.
6.3 The chair indicated that a possible item already on the table for discussion at the parent committee was the council’s management of allotments. She welcomed any other possible items from members during the course of the year.
6.4 Members of the committee reported their experience of cabinet member interviews. It was agreed that the committee and its sub-committees would continue to interview the cabinet member whose portfolio fell within their terms of reference.
6.5 The chair proposed that, with the agreement of members, the committee introduce a bi-monthly agenda item in respect of management and monitoring of major contracts. She suggested that the first of these take place at the July meeting and concentrate on the Wates Major Works Contract. Future items might include the development of the new in-house customer contact centre. The chair also indicated that she had asked for an item to the July meeting in respect of food hygiene in schools.