Archived decisions

Policy and Resources Select Committee Recommendations

Proposed Cabinet Response

A) There is a clearly defined mechanism agreed through which Select Committees can bring issues, reports and recommendations to the attention of the relevant Executive Member, or where appropriate the Cabinet, and a clear timeframe for providing a response to the appropriate Select Committee.

A1) When a response is made, if recommendations are not accepted an explanation is provided.

B) Where recommendations are accepted there will be an agreed process for following up progress with implementation and reporting this to the relevant Select Committee, with sufficient time allowed in meetings for Members to give full consideration to the actions initiated.

C) Make explicit the means by which Executive Members are able to feed into and inform Select Committee work programmes.

D) At the point of selecting a topic for inclusion in the work programme, Select Committee Chairmen ensure that the prioritisation and scheduling of work allows for maximum opportunities to inform or improve the service/topic under consideration.

E) The scope for Select Committee Members to access the expertise within Departments to obtain professional and technical advice/input is explored, taking account of the need to manage an appropriate separation of the work of Departments and scrutiny.

F) The point of contact between lead scrutiny officers and each Department is formally agreed to ensure that information is properly routed both through Departments and to Select Committee Members.

F1) Briefings and reports for Members can be easily identified and accessed through the County Council's website.

G) Regular informal meetings are set up between the relevant Select Committee Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Opposition Spokespeople, Executive Members and key officers to provide an early alert to emerging issues and facilitate `real time' scrutiny of decisions, policy development and work programmes.

G1) Select Committee Chairmen have lead responsibility for regularly briefing their Select Committee Members on the issues raised in these meetings.

H) The timing and frequency of Select Committee meetings and supporting activities are reviewed to improve alignment with the Executive Member decision making process.

I) Mechanisms should be put in place to enable Select Committee Chairmen, taking account of the agreed priorities of that Committee, to initiate a response or action on behalf of the Committee to referrals from external sources that occur between meetings. These will be shared with all Committee members at the earliest opportunity with the chance for feedback where possible.

J) That the Policy & Resources Select Committee takes a stronger role in identifying priorities for scrutiny and adjusting work programmes as appropriate.

K) Select Committees actively build working relationships with relevant partner organisations and consider the way in which Hampshire County Council engages with and involves partners as a routine part of any thematic scrutiny activity.

L) Consideration is given to the most effective way to support Members in building a knowledge base of, and engagement with, the work of the County Council. This may include the introduction of a `job description' for certain roles, a system of `lead scrutineers/member champions', or specified training completed prior to a Member being appointed to a particular role. The role of the Chairman in supporting non-Executive Member development should be included in this work.

M) Consideration is given to the resources available to support non-executive Members in the conduct of overview and scrutiny.

N) Work programmes are sufficiently flexible to accommodate unplanned work without compromising the timeliness of planned work undertaken by Select Committees.

O) The `Call in' process is reviewed, taking account of national best practice.

P) The way in which reports and other information is presented to Members be reviewed to ensure that relevant evidence and supporting information is included, previous work can be easily tracked and links with corporate policies are clear.

Q) A `plain English' handbook is developed setting out the role and function of the Select Committees and the procedures that support their work. This will be clearly accessible on the website and widely circulated in the County Council.

R) The scope to build Select Committee Member understanding of the key issues with regard to performance and finances, and better alignment with the annual cycle of both disciplines, is explored with the appropriate key leads in the County Council.

S) A clear set of criteria for prioritising topics for inclusion in Select Committee work programmes is agreed and published. This is also used, adjusted as appropriate, to support the Select Committees in coming to a view about any referral from partner organisations.

T) Work on the website for Hampshire County Council Select Committees continues and includes work programmes and other support activities as well as the handbook (see recommendation R above)

U) The Hampshire County Council media protocols are revised to ensure they properly reflect the role of the Select Committees

A) There is a clearly defined mechanism, stating the outcomes looked for, through which Select Committees can bring issues, reports and recommendations to the attention of the relevant Executive Member, or where appropriate the Cabinet. Any written report or recommendations will normally be responded to within two months of receipt by the Executive Member or Cabinet.

A1) Endorsed.

B) Where recommendations are accepted there will be an agreed process for following up progress with implementation and reporting this to the relevant Select Committee and full Council.

C) Executive Members are able to highlight issues of concern (e.g. any partnership working including that supporting the delivery of the LAA* or NIs** and which supports the County Council's role as Community Leader) to Select Committees for consideration for inclusion in work programmes.

*Local Area Agreement. **National Indicator

There will be scope on Select Committee agendas for Executive Members, with suitable notice, to raise questions for consideration by the Committee.

D) At the point of selecting a topic for inclusion in the work programme, including taking into account issues raised by Executive Members, Select Committee Chairmen ensure that the prioritisation and scheduling of work allows for maximum opportunities to inform or improve the service/topic under consideration.

E) The Cabinet Working Group agrees that Select Committees should be able to access expertise within Departments for technical and other professional advice (e.g. the legal and scientific advice currently being provided to the Fluoridation Review Group) when this can be made available. Equally the Select Committees need to work with partner organisations and other external agencies to build arrangements for accessing advice and support as required to inform the delivery of their thematic work programmes.

F) Endorsed.

F1) Refer to IT for response, needs to take account of the forward plan and the new Decisions Programme. See also L, P, R and T

The Cabinet Working Group also agreed that it would be helpful if County Council Part I and II reports also include a link to the original Executive Member/Cabinet report for ease of reference.

G) Informal meetings are set up between the relevant Select Committee Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Opposition Spokespeople, Executive Members and key officers to provide advance information on emerging issues.

G1) Being progressed through the Policy and Resources Select Committee.

In respect of `urgent' key decisions that are not in the Forward Plan and therefore require the Chairman of the relevant Select Committee(s) to be notified and/or approval obtained for the decision to be made, appropriate opposition spokespersons also to be notified at the same time.

H) Already implemented for the coming year.

I) To be progressed through the Policy and Resources Select Committee and the Scrutiny Team.

J) See D above. To be progressed through the Policy and Resources Select Committee.

K) To be progressed by the Policy and Resources Select Committee via priority setting arrangements. The Cabinet Review Group suggests that specific emphasis is given to building and understanding of the way in which other agencies impact on Hampshire residents

L) Briefing programmes, organised visits and facilities for members should be improved. This should include better information to be made available in the Members Room, consideration of the accessibility of information on Hantsweb and exploration of the feasibility of siting IT support for members in the Members Room.

Examples of role profiles were provided to Cabinet Working Group members

M) The feasibility of providing the opportunity for Hampshire based students to act as research assistants/project support to members is explored with Universities and Colleges and also the County Council's Hampshire Own Grown (HOG) programme.

N) To be progressed through the Policy and Resources Select Committee. Linked with priority setting by members (see D, J and S).

O) Examples of other `call in' processes, have been provided for consideration by the Cabinet Working Group and further work will now be taken forward by the Policy and Resources Select Committee.

Additionally the Policy and Resources Select Committee needs to consider mechanisms to call to account the decisions of other partner organisations that impact on the residents of Hampshire

P) Endorsed. The new Decisions Programme is intended to facilitate this.

Q) To be progressed by the Scrutiny Team in consultation with the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Select Committee.

R) The Cabinet Working Group agreed it was important for Select Committees to have an understanding of the context in which decisions are made. The forward plan is intended to achieve this but needs to be more user friendly. Work has already taken place with regard to building understanding of budgetary issues and similar plans are in place to begin to share performance information more widely. Linked with C above.

The way in which the plans and programmes of other agencies, such as the Highways Agency and partnerships such as the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH), impact on Hampshire residents also needs to be taken into account by the Select Committees (linked with K and O).

S) A set of criteria for prioritising topics for inclusion in Select Committee work programmes is in the process of being agreed by members of the Policy and Resources Select Committee. This will also include criteria to support the Select Committees in coming to a view about any referral from partner organisations. This document will be circulated to all Members for comment, followed by consideration by the Policy and Resources Select Committee on 14 October 2008.

T) Endorsed, although this is a wider issue for the County Council to consider. A plain English website which is easy to navigate is required to support members in the delivery of their work programmes and other supporting activities.

U) To be taken forward by the Head of Corporate Communications. The existing protocol has been shared with the Chairman of the Cabinet Working Group.