A report by the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management advised that the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee had new powers arising from The Police and Justice Act (2006), to:

(a)  review or scrutinise the decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder functions; and

(b)  make reports or recommendations to the local authority with respect to the discharge of those functions.

Officers had prepared a draft protocol for the scrutiny of Wirral’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) Partnership and it had been presented for the Scrutiny Programme Board for consideration and had also been considered by the CDRP.  The Protocol would be presented to the Council with a recommendation for adoption.  If adopted, it would be adhered-to when the CDRP was under scrutiny.

RESOLVED:

That the Council be recommended to adopt the Protocol.

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management reported that provisions contained within sections 19 – 21 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 extended the remit of local authorities to scrutinise the functioning of the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). The requirements were enacted by the Crime and Disorder (Overview and Scrutiny) Regulations 2009 that came into force for local authorities in England on 30 April 2009 and their implementation was covered by Home Office Guidance for the Scrutiny of Crime and Disorder Matters – England.

The Director reported that, in Wirral, the scrutiny of the CDRP was to be undertaken by the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which had been designated the “Crime and Disorder Committee” under Paragraph 1, Section 19 of Part 3 of the Act. The members of CDRPs were required to take part in scrutiny locally and this included the main partners (‘responsible authorities’): local authorities, fire and rescue authorities, police authorities, the police, primary care trusts in England; plus the ‘co-operating bodies’: probation, NHS trusts, proprietors of independent schools and further education institutions.

The new powers of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, arising from The Police and Justice Act (2006) were to:

(a)  review or scrutinise the decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder functions; and

(b)  make reports or recommendations to the local authority with respect to the discharge of those functions.

The Director presented for consideration a draft protocol to define the manner in which the Sustainable Communities O&S Committee may scrutinise the CDRP and he indicated that it was intended to set out the mutual expectations of both scrutiny members and CDRP partners to ensure that scrutiny was constructive and that the power was used effectively alongside the other powers of Council overview and scrutiny.

He proposed that the Protocol would be considered by the CDRP and by the Sustainable Communities O&S Committee, prior to its consideration/adoption by the Cabinet/Council. The Chair of the Children and Young People O&S Committee requested that the protocol be referred also to that Committee for consideration.

Resolved –

(1)  That the draft Scrutiny Protocol for the scrutiny of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) be endorsed and referred to the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the CDRP, the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet for consideration.

(2)  That subject to the Protocol being revised in the light of any comments received, it be presented to the Council for adoption as a clarification of Scrutiny’s relationship with the CDRP.