At the meeting of the Committee held on 21 September 2010 (extract of minute 58 attached), the Committee agreed (6:4) that matters identified in a paper submitted by Councillor Davies (attached), in relation to the Consultation Task Forces, should be considered at this special meeting.

Officers have been requested to provide such information as they are able to, both in relation to the process followed in the selection and appointment of Task Force members, and the budgetary implications of the questions contained within the public questionnaire.

Further to minute 58 (21/9/10) the Committee considered a report from the Interim Chief Executive which set out the extensive work undertaken to deliver the Council’s consultation process ‘Wirral’s Future: Be a part of it’. The report documented the different stages of the project, the overall methodology used, and the next steps in the process, highlighting the underpinning commitment to make the process inclusive and accessible to the widest possible audience.

With the permission of the Chair, the Leader of the Council addressed the Committee and expressed his thanks to the project team involved for all their work in helping to deliver the consultation over such a short period of time. He also thanked the outreach team of over 30 staff who over a seven week period had spoken to over 10,000 people at 140 events and with partner organisations had helped distribute over 40,000 questionnaires, of which over 5,000 had been returned. Additionally he thanked the team responsible for capturing all the data coming back and the importance attached to making sure all those who had contributed had feedback on their ideas.

He emphasised that the whole process was open and transparent, with all the information which was considered by the Task Forces being available to the public on the Council’s website.

Responding to comments from the Chair, the Interim Chief Executive stated that after the consultation had closed Task Forces would meet for a fourth time to consider the survey results and review their initial proposals with their  recommendations then forming the basis of a report to Cabinet on 25 November.

The Head of Tourism and Marketing, who was leading the core project team, also responded to comments from the Committee including on the length of the questionnaire which had had to strike a balance between being too simplistic and achieving an informed response on the questions posed. Geographical locations could be identified for those responses on the internet and there was also a facility to strip out multiple responses. Every single comment received would be published on the website along with the percentage returns for each question and a detailed evaluation of the responses. All Members would be informed of the dates of the fourth Task Force meetings to be held during the second week in November and invited to attend.

It was moved by Councillor P Davies and seconded by Councillor McArdle that –

“This Committee believes that:

·  No account in drawing up the options was taken of the knowledge, experience and skills built up over time and held by councillors elected to represent the public.

·  The entire programme has been determined by the Director of Corporate Services in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council without input from Cabinet or Scrutiny.

·  The consultation process was therefore put in place without any regard for the checks and balances contained within the Council’s Constitution and that, in so doing, the Council and individuals have been put at future risk.

·  Proper account was not taken of the professional survey skills required to construct a neutral questionnaire and provide a statistically valid sample which would be representative of the whole of Wirral and the result is an unbalanced and deeply flawed consultation exercise.

·  Questions have been fudged so the public cannot be sure whether services from the Council will actually stop, in favour of unfunded voluntary or private sector activity, or simply be replaced by commissioned or outsourced services.

·  The lack of any financial information or costings of the options being put forward, and the lack of any options allowing people to choose clearly between internally and externally provided services, renders them meaningless in budget terms.

·  This therefore appears not to be a budgetary exercise at all but a way of pushing forward Tory Party ideological propaganda that massive outsourcing of services to create a smaller state is always better, regardless of the cost in financial or human terms.

·  The validity of the whole exercise is now rightly being questioned by the people of Wirral.

This Committee also notes that, with little action taken, the budget shortfall has risen again to £33m and is likely to rise still further when the local government settlement is announced.

This Committee therefore recommends to Cabinet that:

(1) The results of this flawed consultation are treated with extreme caution and not used as a true basis for any budget decisions.

(2) Any future consultation of this nature using questionnaires is carried out in a neutral and statistically valid way, without political interference, using those professionally skilled in surveying public opinion.

(3) The full consultation processes are approved through Cabinet and are subject to scrutiny in the normal way.

(4) Task Forces outside the Council’s Constitutional framework are not used but instead independent representatives are co-opted for the purpose onto the relevant Scrutiny Committee to work in conjunction with elected members to provide advice to Cabinet.

(5) A guide to good practice in consultation is produced, with the appropriate external advice, in order to avoid future problems.

(6) The Cabinet should take responsibility for decision making and act with all speed to reduce the budget deficit.”

The motion was put and lost (4:6).

It was then moved by the Chair and seconded by Councillor Keeley and –

Resolved (10:0) –

(1) That this Committee recognises the dedication of all the staff who have met with and encouraged the public to participate in the consultation, in a large number of locations.

(2) That this Committee understands that the Task Forces have undertaken detailed work and thanks them for their input.

(3) That this Committee welcomes assurances that recommendations from the Task Forces and future meetings are to be open to the public and advertised and their contributions are to be assessed by Members.

(4) That this Committee recognises that the information received from the consultation will be fully reported to Members, accessible to the public and used to contribute to the outcome of the budget process.