Issue - meetings

To agree the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2011/12.

Members were invited to consider the Overview & Scrutiny proposed work programme for 2011/2012.  The proposed programme incorporated the views of the former Commission and Panels and was endorsed by the Council at their meeting in April.

Comments were made as follows:

• It was a huge work programme, all of which may not be achieved.  It was for the Panels to prioritise and decide which reviews to undertake but the proposals were a good starting point.
• It was important to exercise pre-decision scrutiny.
• New members may have some fresh ideas.

Relating to point 6 of the Commission’s proposals, Policy Development, members were advised that a working group would be established to review plans for neighbourhood engagement, in the light of the Localism Bill and local developments.  This review would be of fairly short duration and had a small window of opportunity.  Councillors Finnie and McLean expressed an interest in this working group.  Councillor Heydon expressed an interest in sitting on the working group to review the 2012 refresh of the Information and Communications Technology Strategy.  The Head of Overview & Scrutiny would write to members inviting membership of the working groups.

Relaing to point 7 of the Commission’s proposals, Sustaining Economic Prosperity, this task was pressing and ongoing.  A working group had already been established.