Agenda and minutes

To note the appointment of Councillor Richard Romain at the Special Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 5 June as Chairman of the Sub-Committee for the Municipal Year 2006/2007.

RESOLVED:  To note the appointment of Councillor Richard Romain at the Special Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 5 June 2006 as Chairman of the Sub?Committee for the Municipal Year 2006/2007.

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

RESOLVED:  That (1) in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1972 (as amended), the following agenda item be admitted late to the agenda by virtue of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency detailed below:-

(2)  all items be considered with the press and public present.

To consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair to the Sub Committee for the Municipal Year 2006/2007.

RESOLVED:  To appoint Councillor Jerry Miles as Vice-Chairman of the Sustainable Development and Enterprise Scrutiny Sub?Committee for the 2006/2007 Municipal Year.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2006, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2006 of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Sub?Committee (being the predecessor body to this Committee), having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents/organisations under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 8.

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 8.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9.

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10.

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10.

To note the terms of reference of the Sub-Committee

RESOLVED:  That the terms of reference be noted.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which provided background information on transportation, housing, planning and development and enterprise and skills which were areas within the Sub?Committee’s terms of reference. The officer explained that, apart from the briefings, detailed policy information was available on request.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which suggested topics for inclusion in the Sub-Committee’s work programme. Members discussed the scrutiny tools available and made many suggestions and comments, which were noted by officers, in particular that the work programme should allow for flexibility.

The Sub-Committee considered the recommendations set out in the officer report and 

RESOLVED:  That (1) the proposed work programme of the Scrutiny Committees be noted;

(2)  the Sub-Committee conduct a Light Touch Review on the Harrow Welcome Pack and that the Sub-Committee receive a report at the next meeting;

(3  officers arrange a half-day challenge panel on drought preparations, with the Portfolio Holder for Urban Living - Public Realm, engineering officers, officers dealing with sewage, culvert and drainage works and representatives from Thames Water, Three Valleys Water and stakeholders from the community to which Members of the Sub-Committee be also invited;

(4)  officers provide a scoping report on conducting an in-depth review on the impact of changes in Harrow’s demography to the next meeting;

(5)  once a final draft of the Council’s strategy had been produced at the end of 2006, officers arrange a half-day challenge panel on Borough-wide economic development;

(6)  officers arrange a two hour challenge panel on the Tourism Review/Adult and Community Learning Review on an evening between September and November 2006;

(7)  Members contact officers with their views on Years 2-4 of the Work Programme.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which suggested that the Harrow Welcome Pack be the subject of a Light Touch Review. Members discussed this option and the possibility of it being self-funding through local businesses advertising in the pack.  They also discussed an alternative option of conducting a light touch review into how the Council has benefited from membership of the West London Alliance, the cost of membership and if it offered an effective means of partnership for planning and enterprise issues.

RESOLVED:  That (1) a review group be established to examine the feasibility and nature of the Harrow Welcome Pack to be sent to new residents as outlined in the officer report;

(2)  the review group report their key findings and recommendations, where appropriate, at the next meeting of the Sub Committee.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy which set out Cabinet’s response to the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Sub?Committee’s (being the predecessor body to this Sub-Committee) 2005/06 Review of Tourism. In noting the report, the Sub-Committee agreed to refer the report to the challenge panel which would be on Tourism and the Adult and Community Learning.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the report be noted;

(2)  the report be made available at the Tourism Review/ACL Review challenge panel.

Which the Chairman has decided is urgent and cannot otherwise be dealt with.

Timed Agenda

The Chairman proposed to have timed agendas which would be agreed with the Vice?Chairman and the scrutiny officer in advance.  He added that it would be assumed that Members had read all the reports prior to the meeting and that officers would not be asked to introduce the reports but to provide an update, if necessary, to the reports.

Following a vote it was:

RESOLVED:  That (1) the meetings should, where possible, not last more than an hour and a half;

(2)  Members work as a team;

(3)  the concept of timing be explored further.

[Note: The Sub-Committee wished it to be noted that the above decision was unanimous].