Issue - meetings

The Chairman submitted a report setting out the Committee’s future work programme for 2013/14, the detail of which had been set out in Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ to the report now submitted.

Members were advised that the report in respect of the Annual Governance Statement 2012/13 and the 2013/14 action plan would now be submitted to the 27 August 2013 meeting of the Committee, to allow more time for public consultation.

The Director of Finance and Support Services advised that the Shared Services Business Plan for ICT, Business Improvement, Print and Design would be scrutinised and approved at a special meeting of the Executive on 23 July 2013.  Members were advised that the report could not come first to Corporate Business Scrutiny on 2 July as originally planned due to the time was required to allow for statutory consultation with staff and time for any responses to be reviewed and analysed.

The Scrutiny Officer invited Members to suggest items for inclusion on the Committee’s work programme.  She suggested a number of possible topics for scrutiny and wider discussion which had already been raised as part of the Members’ scrutiny evaluation and planning workshop in April 2013.

Councillor J Ranger suggested a day long scrutiny event relating to the Council’s asset base, which could be used to initiate wider discussions and also Task and Finish Groups focussing on more specific issues.

The Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services encouraged Members to set their own scrutiny agenda rather than relying on Officers to submit reports for Members to consider.  Councillor J Wing suggested that Members scrutinise the general area of economic development activities and business support, particularly the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

A new item on current asset holdings and economic development was agreed for the next meeting of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee to initiate debate on these topics.  The Committee approved the 2013/14 work programme, as amended.

RESOLVED – that the work programme, as now amended, be approved.