The Committee considered the report of the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance, which indicated that the four Policy and Performance Committees had been established to undertake the work of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny function. Each Committee was invited to select items within their remit to be included within their work programme and it was suggested that more effective scrutiny would focus on a small number of the most relevant high priority topics. The Coordinating Committee had an additional role to ensure that there was no duplication between the work of the other Committees and to make sure that resources were available, from both Members and officers, for the work items to be completed in a timely manner. The report outlined various methods of undertaking detailed scrutiny work and envisaged that the work programme would be monitored and updated at Committee meetings throughout the municipal year.

The report listed a number of items from previous Overview and Scrutiny Committees, where Members had requested further scrutiny work to take place by the new Policy and Performance Committees. The Scrutiny Support Officer commented that, as part of developing the new work programme, Members may wish to identify items from the list but, it would be beneficial to carry forward only those most significant items.

Members raised a number of topics they believed should be included in the Committee’s work programme for 2013/2014. A Member further highlighted the need for early progress to be made, otherwise there would be no prospect of completing the body of scrutiny work before the year end. Accordingly, the Chair proposed that the party spokespersons should meet in the near future, to agree and prioritise the work programme, in order that work may commence as soon as practicable, prior to the next meeting.

In response to concerns expressed by Members that not all topics identified for scrutiny could be completed by the year end, the Head of Regeneration assured Members that the areas not selected for scrutiny would not be neglected. There was a significant amount of work being undertaken by officers in the areas identified, albeit not scrutiny work, that could inform work by Members and form the basis of update reports to future meetings of the Committee.

Resolved –

(1)  That the following items be referred to the Chair and Spokespersons for consideration for inclusion in the Committees work programme for the 2013/2014 municipal year –

·  The implication and impact of budget changes

·  Benefit Reform and Under Occupation (from the Economy and Regeneration O&S Committee)

·  Wirral Waters

·  A Scrutiny Review of the positive impact on the local economy of the redevelopment of New Brighton

·  A Review of the COLAS Contract

·  The Impact of Welfare Reforms on Homelessness

·  The impact of the Reduction in Street Cleansing

·  Tourism

·  The Decline of Small Shopping Areas

·  Domestic Violence

(2)  That the completion and prioritisation of the work programme be delegated to the Chair, party spokespersons and the independent Member of the Committee, prior to the next meeting.

(3)  That the Chair and spokespersons be delegated to agree to the commencement of any specific parts of the work programme prior to the next meeting of the Committee.