Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Law and Governance

Purpose of Report

To give an update on the Overview and Scrutiny work programme for 2016-2017

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To review the draft work programme (Appendix 1).

1.2         To approve the draft scoping document relating to the Youth Engagement 2017 Scrutiny Review (Appendix 2)

1.3         To consider  the draft scoping document relating to the Mobile Signal Scrutiny Review (Appendix 3)

1.4         To identify any items from the Executive Work Programme to form part of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2016/17.

1.5         To identify any other possible future topics for scrutiny and consider whether these topics should have scoping documents produced, based on the considerations of risk and what value scrutiny can add through considering the issue.

Resolved

(1)       That the draft work programme be noted

(2)       That the Youth Engagement 2017 scoping document be approved

(3)       That, subject to the second ‘purpose of review’ bullet being amended to read ‘To present our findings to Ofcom and Department for Culture, Media and Sport to inform their priorities on tackling identified black spots in the Cherwell area in the context of the £5bn agreement between the Government and the National Mobile Operator's to provide mobile voice coverage to 90% of the British Geographic Area’, the scoping document be approved

(4)       That the date of the next meeting of the Committee be changed from Tuesday 4 April to Tuesday 28 March 2017  

The Committee considered the work programme for the remainder of the 2016-2017 year.

With regards to the Youth Engagement 2017 review, the Committee approved the draft scoping document.

In connection with the Mobile Signal review, officers updated the Committee on work being undertaken by the British Infrastructure Group (BIG) into the same subject. The ‘Mobile coverage: a good call for Britain?’ group had been set up in 2016, following a government decision to pursue a £5 billion investment agreement with mobile network operators in 2014.

The Committee felt that it was important for the initial research on the review to continue, in order to assist the work of the BIG. It was suggested that the second bullet in the ‘purpose of review’ section of the scoping document be amended to read ‘To present our findings to Ofcom and Department for Culture, Media and Sport to inform their priorities on tackling identified black spots in the Cherwell area in the context of the £5bn agreement between the Government and the National Mobile Operator's to provide mobile voice coverage to 90% of the British Geographic Area’.

With regard to the Executive work programme, the Committee expressed an interest in the items relating to the Air Quality Action Plan, Car Park Service Improvements, Empty Homes Project, Sports Centres and Playing Pitch Strategy. Officers agreed to speak to relevant officers to find out more information.

Officers reported that, due to the close of nominations for the County Council elections, it would be necessary to change the date of the next meeting. The Committee agreed to change the date to Tuesday 28 March 2017, subject to there not being a clash with other meetings.  

Resolved

(1)       That the draft work programme be noted

(2)       That the Youth Engagement 2017 scoping document be approved

(3)       That, subject to the second ‘purpose of review’ bullet being amended to read ‘To present our findings to Ofcom and Department for Culture, Media and Sport to inform their priorities on tackling identified black spots in the Cherwell area in the context of the £5bn agreement between the Government and the National Mobile Operator's to provide mobile voice coverage to 90% of the British Geographic Area’, the scoping document be approved

(4)       That the date of the next meeting of the Committee be changed from Tuesday 4 April to Tuesday 28 March 2017