Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

POLICY AND RESOURCES POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE

1 The Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee has adopted a positive approach to its three main areas of work: policy development; scrutiny and best value. Its former role as the Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been passed to the newly formed Health Review Committee.

2 The Committee has used the "call-in" procedure to review the Executive decisions on two occasions:

    · County Council Gypsy and Traveller Services in relation to permanent closure of Peake Copse Gypsy Site near Basingstoke (Executive decision endorsed);

    · Improvements to the Sound System in the Council Chamber (Leader undertook to review his decision in the light of a pilot scheme)

3 The Committee has continued to identify items in the Forward Plan, consider the issues and give advice to the Leader before the key-decisions are made. Also, the Committee has been asked for its advice by the Executive or Executive Members on a number of matters. The Leader and Cabinet have taken into account the advice and comments of the Committee and reached similar conclusions prior to making their decisions on the following. Their views have not conflicted with those of the Committee:-

    (i) Statement of Infrastructure, Services and Developer Contributions (Leader);

    (ii) Land and Property Review -County Farms Estate (Leader);

    (iii) Health Overview and Scrutiny (Cabinet);

    (iv) County Council's Policy Relating to Vehicular Access over Registered Common Land and Village Greens (Leader);

    (v) Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Leader);

    (vi) 2003/04 Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and Budget Guidelines (Cabinet);

    (vii) Revenue Budget 2003/04 (Leader and Cabinet);

    (viii) Capital Programme 2003/04 to 2006/07 (Leader and Cabinet);

    (ix) Government Consultations on the Local Government Pension Scheme (Leader);

    (x) Community Strategy for Gosport 2003-2006 (Leader);

    (xi) Sustainable Communities and Building for the Future - Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister (Cabinet);

    (xii) Recycling Services for Schools (to be considered by Cabinet 22 September 2003).

4 The Audit Commission's Best Value Inspectorate has carried out concurrent inspections of the Committee's reviews of Support for the Voluntary and Community Sector and the cross-cutting best value review of Economic Prosperity and passed helpful information back to the County Council on various aspects of the two reviews. As a result, the Committee has made proposals concerning the role and resources of the Economic Development Office and these are to be considered by the Executive Member for Economic Development, prior to being determined at the appropriate time by the Leader. Also, the Committee has done further work on Support for the Voluntary and Community Sector with particular regard to internal management of the grant processes and links to the Hampshire Compact and advised the Cabinet accordingly.

5 The Committee has advised the Leader/Cabinet to implement the Best Value review outcomes of:

    · International Relations (Cabinet);

    · Regulatory Services (Leader);

    · Democratic Services (Cabinet);

6 The Committee has been updated on the implementation of the improvement plan for the earlier cross-cutting Best Value review of Passenger Transport, noting progress since the review took place in 2001/02. The Committee is regularly advised of its Best Value review programme and, following Cabinet agreement to the Hampshire Improvement Programme, the Committee has identified Members who will play a key role in the review teams for year 4.

7 The Committee has an over-arching role to monitor activity on Best Value across all Policy Review Committees. Arising from this, Members called for a report on the "costs and benefits of the Best Value Regime in Hampshire" and has asked to receive an annual update of this information.

8 In accordance with the Council's complaints policy, the Committee has received from relevant departments, annual reports on their monitoring of complaints and compliments.

9 The Committee's programme of future items at this time includes consideration of reports on the following. This will be reviewed in the context of the Committee's impending demise as reported at the Council meeting in July and the establishment of a new Corporate Scrutiny Committee:-

    · Year 4 - Best Value Reviews;

    · Costs and Benefits of the Best Value Regime in Hampshire - Annual Update;

    · Monitoring of the Policy and Resources budget;

    · Capital Strategy;

    · South Hampshire Rapid Transit Scheme - Phase 1;

    · Hampshire District Community Strategies;

    · Private Finance Initiatives;

S.A. Hayes
Chairman

5nR150803