REPORT OF THE

POLICY AND RESOURCES POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE

PART II

1. The Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee met on nine occasions between September 2001 and July 2002. It has adopted a positive approach to its three main areas of work: policy development; scrutiny and best value. To this work has recently been added a new role as the Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

2. The Policy Review Committee has not used the `call-in' procedure to review Executive decisions. Instead, it has preferred to identify in advance particular items in the Forward Plan and to give advice to the Leader on various key-decisions before they are made. Also, the Committee has been asked for its advice on several other important matters. As a result of this, the Leader, Executive Member for Community Development, Cabinet and Council have been advised on the following policy issues:-

(i) Development Proposals For County Council Land At North Popley (Leader);


(ii) Policy For Applications To Erect Telecommunication Base Stations On County Council Land And Property (Leader);


(iii) East Hampshire Community Strategy (Leader);


(iv) District Partnership Community Safety Strategies 2002-2005 (Executive Member For Community Development);


(v) Proposals To Improve The Performance Of The Health Service In North Hampshire (Cabinet); and


(vi) Your Region, Your Choice White Paper (Cabinet and Council).

3. Best Value reviews have occupied a significant part of the Committee's workload. Included in this work have been several cross-cutting reviews. Other reviews are still on-going.

(i) Cross-Cutting Reviews of Financial Management, Catering Services, and Economic Prosperity;


(ii) Support for Voluntary and Community Sector;


(iii) International Relations (On-going);


(iv) Democratic Services (On-going);


(v) Regulatory Services (On-going); and


(vi) Monitoring the Best Value Improvement Plan for Legal Services.

4. The Committee itself and an individual Member have identified various items for consideration over the past year as follows:-

(i) Local Government White Paper `Strong Local Leadership - Quality Public Services';


(ii) Best Value Performance Plan;


(iii) Reorganisation Of Postal Services And Impact On Sub-Post Offices; and


(iv) South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Review Of The Regional Economic Strategy.

5. The Health and Social Care Act 2001 provides for local authorities with social services functions to scrutinise health services as part of a wider role in health improvement and reducing health inequalities. The Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee has been charged to take on the Council's health scrutiny function. As a starting point a seminar was arranged on 19 June 2002. To this event were invited representatives of all health organisations, local authorities (unitary and district councils), the Association of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Authorities and the Hampshire Association of Parish and Town Councils. The seminar provided a useful basis for shared knowledge and a first step towards seeking to develop a consensus about how to prepare for and organise health overview and scrutiny. A further informal meeting is being arranged in September for all interested County Councillors to discuss options for inclusion in a draft consultation document to share with the Council's partner organisations. A report on the matter is due to be considered by this Committee on 11 October 2002.

6. The Committee will continue to exercise its three main and new health overview and scrutiny responsibility in order to fulfil its intended role within the constitution.

S.A. Hayes

Chairman

5nR650702