Agenda and minutes

The Committee’s membership is set out below:

Cllr Montyn (interim Chairman)

Cllr Burrett (interim Vice-Chairman)

Cllr Boram

Cllr Britton

Cllr B Cooper

Cllr Condie

Cllr Elkins

Cllr Evans

Cllr Hillier

Cllr Lord

Cllr Nagel

Cllr Sparkes

Cllr Turley

Cllr Wall

plus one Conservative vacancy.

The Nominated substitutes are Cllr Baxter, Cllr Walsh, and 1 Conservative vacancy.

The Committee is asked to elect a Chairman for 2021/22.  If the election is contested, a secret ballot will be held in accordance with Standing Order 2.15B.

1.1  Cllr Montyn was proposed for the position of Chairman by Cllr Burrett and seconded by Cllr Sparkes.  No other nominations were made and Cllr Montyn is duly elected as Chairman of the Committee for the coming year.

The Committee is asked to elect a Vice-Chairman for 2021/22.  If the election is contested, a secret ballot will be held in accordance with Standing Order 2.15B.

2.1  Cllr Burrett was proposed for the position of Vice-Chairman by Cllr Britton and seconded by Cllr Elkins.

2.2  Cllr Lord was proposed for the position of Vice-Chairman by Cllr B Cooper and seconded by Cllr Condie.

2.3  A secret ballot was held which was won by Cllr Burrett, nine votes to four.

2.4  Resolved – that Cllr Burrett is duly elected as Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the coming year.

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personal interest in any business on the agenda.  They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.  Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it.  If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

3.1  No declarations of interest were made.

The Committee’s terms of reference will be sent to follow after they are agreed by the Governance Committee on 28 June 2021.  The Committee is invited to note its terms of reference. 

4.1  The Committee noted its Terms of Reference, which were endorsed by the Governance Committee on 28 June 2021 and will be submitted to the Council for final approval on 16 July 2021.

4.2  Resolved – that the Committee notes its terms of reference.

The Committee is asked to appoint five members to the Group, including the Committee’s Chairman, Vice-Chairman and at least two minority group members.

5.1  Resolved – that the Committee appoints the following Members to its Business Planning Group: Cllr Montyn (Chairman), Cllr Burrett (Vice-Chairman), Cllr Condie, Cllr Sparkes and Cllr Turley.

The Committee is asked to agree the Part I minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021 (cream paper).

6.1  Resolved – That, subject to correction of a typo at 120.4, the Part I Minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

There was one request for call-in to the Scrutiny Committee within its constitutional remit since the date of the last meeting - Review and Appointments to Outside Bodies CAB1(21/22).  The Director of Law and Assurance concluded that no valid grounds for a call-in had been provided in accordance with Standing Orders. The call-in request was therefore declined.

The Director of Law and Assurance will report any requests since the publication of the agenda papers.

7.1  The Committee received a report from the Director of Law and Assurance (copy attached to the signed minutes) regarding the declined call-in for decision ‘Review and Appointments to Outside Bodies CAB1(21/22)’.

7.2  Resolved – That the Committee noted the report.

The Committee is asked to review its current work programme for 2021/22 as agreed at the previous meeting, and make any amendments necessary. 

The Committee is asked to review the extract of the Forward Plan of Key Decisions (Appendix A) and mention any items believed to be of relevance to the business of the scrutiny committee.  An update of any relevant changes to the Forward Plan will be circulated ahead of the meeting. 

If any member puts forward such an item, the Committee’s role at this meeting is to assess, briefly, whether to refer the matter to its Business Planning Group (BPG) to consider in detail.

8.1  The Committee considered the forward work programme for 2021/22 and an extract of the Forward Plan of Key Decisions (copies appended to the signed minutes). 

8.2  Items for the Business Planning Group to consider incorporating into the Committee’s work programme were identified, including:

·         Whether the Property and Assets team is able to resource the level and complexity of the changes required to Council building assets resulting from the outcome of the Early Help re-design work which is currently undergoing scrutiny via the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee.

·         That consideration be given to whether scrutiny of individual parts of the Economic Plan is appropriate.  Specific mention was made of tourism, the Experience West Sussex initiative and the interface with District and Borough councils’ own tourism programmes.

·         That the County Council Insurance Provision Procurement decision in the Forward Plan be considered for scrutiny to ensure best value and competitive costs are maintained for the Council, and that insurance provision is linked to the Corporate Risk Register to manage/mitigate identified risks.

·         That the BPG consider how Members can best monitor significant IT projects aiming to deliver efficiency or better ways of working, as minuted at the March meeting of this Committee [paragraph 120.4].

8.3  Concerns were expressed that the Quarterly Performance Monitor (QPM) Quarter 4 end of year 2020/21 report was not reported to this meeting due to a change in the way performance will be reported in future, and commented that this results in a gap in the Committee’s knowledge and oversight of performance.  Comments were also made on the need for timely presentation of the QPM finance and performance information in order to ensure robust scrutiny is undertaken.  The Senior Advisor undertook to provide the Committee’s feedback to the Cabinet and Executive Leadership Team, and to circulate the end of year QPM report once published ahead of the July Cabinet meeting.  The Chairman welcomed feedback and comments from Members on the end of year QPM report so that he can raise them on behalf of the Committee at the Cabinet meeting.

8.4  Resolved – That the Committee’s Business Planning Group consider the items as noted at 8.2 for inclusion into the 2021/22 work programme.

The Committee is asked to agree the Part II restricted minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021 (gold paper, attached for Members of the Committee only).

9.1  Resolved – That the Part II Restricted Minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021 be approved as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 13 September 2021 at 10.30am at County Hall, Chichester.  Probable agenda items include:

·       Q1 Quarterly Performance Monitor report

·       Q1 Quarterly Capital Programme Performance report

·       New Ways of Working item to include implications of the Covid pandemic on the People Framework and Asset Strategy

·       Joint Venture (JV) Partnership progress report

Any member wishing to place an item on the agenda for the meeting must notify the Director of Law and Assurance by 1 September 2021.

10.1  The Committee notes its next meeting will take place on 13 September 2021, commencing at 10.30am.