Issue - meetings

Members gave their consideration to a report which provided a summary of the work undertaken by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Panels during 2019 – 2020.

During 2019/20, the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Panels continued to scrutinise performance internally/externally, held the Cabinet to account and contributed to policy development.  The range of work and issues considered by each Panel during 2019/20 was summarised in sections 6 - 9 of the report.  Appendix A of the report contained the terms of reference of each Panel and its membership.

The following comments were made and noted:-

·         Concern in relation to the duration of the last meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel and that it had not met since the start of the pandemic;

·         The special meeting of the Panel held on 22^nd July 2020 at which members received details on the Covid-19 Local Outbreak Control Plan was beneficial;

·         An improvement in the level of scrutiny had been seen and the number of questions to Portfolio Holders had increased;

·         Cabinet members should be present at meetings;

·         That Information Digests should be included on the agenda for the relevant scrutiny panel;

·         It was difficult to manage external partners

DECIDED:

1)    That the report be NOTED;

2)    For a summary of the questions to Portfolio Holders be included in the next annual report.