Contact: Philippa Smart e mail: [email protected], ext 7336

1. Summary

1.1 At the Policy and Resources Policy and Review Committee meeting held on 4 December 2006 the scrutiny topic of Transport in the Community was supported, as proposed by the Environment and Transportation Policy and Review Committee.

1.2 The aim of the scrutiny is to assess the effectiveness of passenger transport services in Hampshire in meeting community needs, and to make recommendations to the Executive.

1.3 Likely outcomes from the scrutiny process have been identified as:

- identification of gaps in the range of transport services in Hampshire in relation to community needs

- identification of areas for improvement in the quality of services provided

- proposals for improvement in the quality of services provided

- actions to improve the co-ordination of existing vehicles and services

- achievable steps to arrive at greater clarity about the diversity of provision

- improved understanding about the impact of service changes on the journey to work for those on lower incomes and suggestions to mitigate any impacts identified

1.4 The methodology for the scrutiny is to be evidenced based, along the style of a select committee. This allows a variety of stakeholders to contribute to the debate and, potentially, additional work to be commissioned on specific topics within financial and other resource constraints, and conclusions to be drawn.

1.5 Typically, such a scrutiny will be Member led, and follow three phases:

a) preparation : the establishment of a steering group, setting of terms of reference, identification of primary and secondary information, stakeholders and potential sources of evidence, establishment of timescales and the structure of meetings/visits, development of communication plan etc

b) `live scrutiny' : receipt of evidence both written and verbal, search for additional evidence as appropriate, questioning of key sources of information, testing of evidence

c) conclusion : deliberation, drawing conclusions, identification of recommendations, report writing, submission of report containing recommendations to the Executive and other bodies as appropriate.

2. Next steps

2.1 In order for the preparation phase of the Transport in the Community scrutiny to get underway, a review sub group of the Environment and Transportation Policy and Review Committee needs to be set up.

2.2 Hampshire County Council Policy Review Committees draft Operating Protocols regarding scrutiny review groups say that these groups will usually comprise of Members of the County Council from each of the political groups, as far as is reasonably practical, and one of the Chief Executive's scrutiny officers. For the Transport in the Community scrutiny, support will also be forthcoming from a designated link officer within the Environment Department.

2.3 Principles applying to the operation of the group are that it will be established with a minimum of three County Councillors of whom at least one shall be a Liberal Democrat, or a maximum of six County Councillors of whom at least two shall be Liberal Democrats. Where the second minority party wishes to nominate, that nomination - whether for a group of 3,4,5 or 6 elected members - would be accepted.

2.4 Additional members of a working group can be proposed and invited from without Hampshire County Council, for example to add their expertise to the group.

3. Recommendation

3.1 In the light of the above, it is timely for members of the Environment and Transportation Policy and Review Committee to be considering how they will be involved in the Transport in the Community scrutiny working group and to plan for a date towards the end of January for the sub group to come together to begin work on the preparatory phase of the scrutiny.

4. Financial implications

4.1 None as a direct result of this report

5. Impact assessment

5.1 None as a direct result of this report

6. Crime prevention

6.1 None as a result of this report

7. Section 100 - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied on to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: this includes-

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None.