Report by the Director of Public Health/ Head of Policy and Performance.

A report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance informed that the Committee would draw up a Work Programme for the ensuing Municipal Year.  The Director advised Members of the criteria that would be suitable to inform the Work Programme and requested that they propose items for inclusion.  She also asked the Committee if it was in agreement to ask the other three Policy and Performance Committees to consider their Work Programmes, assign their priorities and consider a report setting them out at its next meeting.

The Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance informed the Committee that Officers had reviewed the work programmes/minutes from the former Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings and had identified those areas where Members had previously requested further work to take place. Those items were listed in a table for Members information. As part of developing the work programme of the new Policy and Performance Committees, Members were asked to identify any items from the list that were required for the new work programme.  It was noted that it would be beneficial to carry forward only those most significant items.

Members considered the detail of the report and made suggestions on what information they would like to receive and on what could be included in the work programme as follows:

·  there should be a standing item on all Co-ordinating Committee agendas to monitor the Council’s performance against its budget;

·  this year’s budget be monitored along with the implications on future years’ savings and link all this to performance;

·  the regular Capital and Revenue Monitoring Reports that are prepared for the Cabinet’s consideration be also presented to this Committee as a standing item;

·  the information that the Head of Financial Services (Tom Sault) used to prepare on one sheet of paper for the former Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee, using the traffic light approach, be presented to this Committee on a regular basis;

·  establish, as soon as possible, a Task and Finish Group on the implementation of the budget, looking at options for next year

·  consider a list of the members of the Wirral Public Services Board and details of other bodies they sit on;

·  agendas for the former Overview and Scrutiny Committees were too long, this mistake must not be repeated;

·  the Committee must prioritise two or three topics to scrutinise and complete this work within the Municipal Year;

·  the Committee should scrutinise Freedom of Information (FOI) requests received, the processes involved with them and the Information Manager be invited to make a presentation to a future meeting of the Committee;

·  consider how other local authorities and other organisations e.g. the Police deal with FOI requests;

·  Shared Services (This was within the remit of the Policy and Performance Transformation and Resources Committee); and

·  consideration be given to the Risk Register.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Chair, Vice-Chair and Spokespersons be given delegated authority to meet and agree what to include in the Committee’s Work Programme, prior to its next meeting; and

(2)  the Chair, Vice-Chair and Spokespersons be requested to agree to the commencement of any specific parts of the Work Programme, prior to the next Committee meeting.