Agenda item

Wales Audit Officers introduced a thematic review entitled Overview and Scrutiny: Fit for the Future.  Such a report has been provided to all councils in Wales.  It was noted that it is a positive report that found that:.

·         The Council is continually developing its scrutiny function and is aware of future challenges, but support arrangements for the Public Service Board (PSB) scrutiny committee need to be strengthened;

·         The Council continues to develop its scrutiny environment and is responsive to member development needs;

·         Scrutiny activity is generally well planned, and the Council has had some success in engaging the public in scrutiny, but the PSB select committee does not currently comply with the Council’s corporate procedures when making meeting papers public; and

·         The Council regularly reviews the scrutiny function and has clear actions to continue its improvement.  Officers and members are aware of current and future challenges.

Five improvement points were identified as follows:

The Council’s scrutiny function could be strengthened by:

·         Ensuring that the PSB select committee complies with the Access to Information Procedure Rules within the Council’s constitution;

·         Providing further training on the Well-being of Future Generations Act for scrutiny members to improve their understanding and consideration of the Act when undertaking scrutiny;

·         Reviewing the level, type and resilience of the scrutiny support function to meet future challenges;

·         Clarifying the role of Cabinet Members when attending select committees to observe; and

·         Assessing the impact of the workshop approach.

It was explained that Members must have the time to read the papers before the meeting and should understand what’s presented to them with access to the right people to be able to answer questions.

A Management response has been provided and it was confirmed that the authority welcomed the report and the opportunity to improve.

It was confirmed that the PSB is a new arrangement that has been evaluating and developing a wellbeing assessment and plan.  It was agreed that it has mainly concentrated on process rather than asking partners about delivery.  It is planned in future to have more partners present to answer questions about project delivery.  It was explained that the organisation has insufficient capacity to carry out the scrutiny role well and temporary arrangements are in place to address this point with a view to making longer term provision in the future. 

A Member asked for clarification about the role of Cabinet Members and was informed that at a meeting the Cabinet Member had attended to observe the meeting.  It was unclear in what capacity the Cabinet Member was there, and if they should be asked questions.  A scrutiny committee can invite the Cabinet Member to attend its meeting to scrutinise and answer questions but in this instance, there was lack of clarity.

A Member asked if the workload of the PSB work could be shared with other Select Committees.  The Head of Policy and Governance responded that this is likely to happen as there is often an overlap with other Select Committees as the PSB considers a wide range of topics.  The appropriate committee would be decided by considering the extent to which the issue is integral to the PSB’s partner work or if it is more relevant to a select committee’s specific portfolio.  The PSB Select Committee has the power to request partners to attend but it may be more appropriate that another select committee invites partners to attend to pursue a particular line of questioning.  It was explained that Democratic Services Committee performs a co-ordinating role and this may be developed to establish some protocols and criteria for future use.

The WAO agreed that in considering if scrutiny is fit for the future, it is necessary to identify the best place for a specific piece of work and to find the best way to scrutinise the issue under consideration.  A Member emphasised the importance of having an accountable person present when considering an issue.

A Member commented that ongoing training for all members of scrutiny committees is essential to take account of changes.  It was responded that further training is due to be provided shortly.

The Wales Audit Officers were thanked for their contribution.