Agenda item

·         To discuss and agree the governance arrangements for the PSB Select Committee.

·         To agree the Terms of Reference for the PSB Select committee.

Context:

We received a report detailing the governance arrangements for the Public Service Board (PSB) Select Committee to provide Members with the opportunity to discuss and agree the governance arrangements for Monmouthshire’s PSB Select Committee, including the drafting of appropriate terms of reference.

Key Issues:

The Future Generations Act 2015 requires public bodies to improve social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing in their area through statutory a Public Service Board (PSB). Local government has been afforded the responsibility to scrutinise the PSB and to ensure the principles of the act are applied to policy and decision-making in Monmouthshire.

The background paper attached to the report provided a detailed explanation of the requirements of the act in relation to scrutiny of the PSB and the wider scrutiny responsibilities. The report sought the agreement of Council on 21st January 2016 to establish a bespoke scrutiny arrangement to scrutinise the activities of the PSB. It proposed that the existing four scrutiny committees play a key role in ensuring that future generations are considered through their scrutiny of policy and decision-making. The report’s recommendations were accepted and the council has established a PSB Select Committee to scrutinise the activities of the PSB.

The report provided a framework for the future working arrangements and general conduct of the PSB Select Committee in line with the proposals agreed by full council.

The Public Service Board Select Committee shall comprise 9 non-executive Members. The four Select Committee Chairs shall be standing Members of the new committee with the remaining elected membership selected to ensure political balance.

The PSB Select Committee work programme will be reported to each Select Committee meeting to enable the Committee to review its content and include new items and to define the arrangements required for the next meeting. The updated work programme will be presented by the Select Committee Chairs to Coordinating Board.

Members Scrutiny:

During discussion following presentation of the report the following points were noted:

·         The role for the PSB Select Committee in  the first instance would be to scrutinise the strategic shift as the PSB evolves and to form a judgement as to whether what is being presented is a genuine embrace of the Future Generations Act, rather than a tweak of existing arrangements to comply with legislation.

·         Some key areas for early exploration with the PSB could include:

o   What each partner is offering to the PSB in terms of capacity and expertise.

o   How the actions of individual partners meet the sustainability development principle.

o   How the PSB plans to maximise efficiency in terms of reporting.

·         The PSB Select Committee will plan its forward work programme in conjunction with key decisions that the PSB will take, however, the Select Committee has the power to call-in decisions should it need to use that power.  The Scrutiny Manager advised that it was hoped the development of an effective working relationship with the PSB and pre-decision scrutiny of key decisions would reduce the need to exercise the call-on power.

·         The Select Committee would scrutinise the activities of the PSB as a whole, however, if  and individual partner of the PSB was deemed to be failing to deliver the board’s priorities they could be invited to a Select Committee meeting.

Agreed:

·         That the report outlining governance arrangements for the Select Committee be accepted, subject to the following amendments:

(i)            The Chair would remain in place until the subsequent Select Committee meeting

(ii)           Co-optees would be considered on an ‘as and when necessary’ basis.

·         That future PSB Select Committee agendas would provide a link to the minutes and agendas of the PSB during each Select Committee meeting period.

·         That the draft terms of reference for the Select Committee be agreed at the next meeting (to feature on the agenda of each PSB Select Committee meeting).