Report by the Chair.

A report by the Chair reminded the Committee that it had discussed the formulation of its Work Programme for the current Municipal Year at its inaugural meeting on 3 July 2013 and agreed to delegate responsibility for developing the Work Programme to the Chair and Party Spokespersons.  The report updated Members on the progress made with this work and the activity proposed for the Committee.

In order for the Committee to fulfil its wider co-ordination role, in terms of the overall Scrutiny Work Programme, the draft Work Programmes of the other three Policy and Performance Committees were also included in the report.

At its last meeting the Committee had suggested that:

  ‘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.’  (Minute No. 12 refers.)

The Chair proposed that as FOI requests were within the remit of the Transformation and Resources Directorate, the review process for handling them be allocated to the Policy and Performance Transformation and Resources Committee.  However, a Member was unhappy with this proposal because she considered that FOI requests cut right across the Council and every Committee.  She felt that they should fall under the remit of the Co-ordinating Committee. 

A Member told the Committee that it was not its job to dictate to the other Policy and Performance Committees what they should include in their Work Programmes.  It was imperative that the Committee had faith in the other three Committees. 

The Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance informed that FOI requests had also been the subject of discussion at the last meeting of the Policy and Performance Transformation and Resources Committee and it had expressed an interest in scrutinising them and some Members considered that this approach constituted best practice.

A vote was held on which Policy and Performance Committee should undertake a review of FOI process and it was agreed that it would fall within the remit of the Transformation and Resources Committee.

A Member made reference to the Policy and Performance Regeneration and Environment Committee’s draft Work Programme and in particular to a potential review of Coastal Issues.  He proposed that this be firmed up to include Wind Farms, Coastal Erosion and Tourist Attractions.

The Member also made reference to the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee that, in the last Municipal Year, had given consideration to the problems associated with pavement parking, the current legislative framework and proposals on how the Council could increase public awareness of the issue and in conjunction with the police, undertake appropriate enforcement action.  This was very important as it was a Wirral wide problem.  Members had expressed support for a warning leaflet which could be issued to warn drivers of inappropriate parking which caused an obstruction. Members had suggested that wording on the leaflet could be harder hitting and that registration numbers could be noted to enable a database of persistent offenders to be established.  The leaflet could also include the point that it was illegal to drive on the pavement.  This proposal had received all party support and the Cabinet Member, Highways and Transportation; Councillor Harry Smith had contributed to a press release in July 2013 which informed that motorists who parked irresponsibly on pavements and footways could face the same penalty charge notices as those who parked on double yellow lines.  A campaign had been launched to raise awareness of the dangers and inconvenience pavement parking could cause to pedestrians.  The Member was concerned that this initiative could lose its impetus and direction following the introduction of the new scrutiny arrangements if it was not included on the Work Programme.

Another Member drew attention to the width of the remit of the Policy and Performance Families and Wellbeing Committee and also registered her concerns over the amount of Scrutiny Officer support available to the Policy and Performance Committees.

The Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance acknowledged these concerns and took the opportunity to introduce the two newly appointed Scrutiny Support Officers, Mike Lester and Tim Games, who along with Alan Veitch, would work as a team to support the scrutiny function.

A Member considered that flood defence was a key area but was aware that other key priorities may mean that this was not the case.  He informed that he would like the Policy and Performance Regeneration and Environment Committee to receive a report on parking on pavements.

Members asked which officers were supporting each of the four Policy and Performance Committees and were informed that the arrangements were as follows:

A Member queried what information would go in the last column of the Work Programme entitled outcome which was currently blank.  The Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance reported that the Scrutiny Team would ensure that there was an outcome recorded from any work undertaken.

A Member raised again the issue of parking on pavements and was assured that there would be a report presented at a future meeting of the Regeneration and Environment Committee rather than an in depth review being carried out.  It was important to generate savings and minimise the impact of this.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Committee’s Work Programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(2)  Members’ comments on the Work Programmes set out in Appendices 2, 3 and 4 as detailed above be noted and shared with the relevant \Policy and Performance Committee where appropriate; and

(3)  An email be sent to Members requesting volunteers to sit on Task and Finish Reviews on the Work Programme.