Agenda item

Report of Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Summary

To update the Board on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2010/11.

Recommendations

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board is recommended to:

(1)               Note the current Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board element of the work programme for 2010/11 as set out at Appendix 1.

(2)               Note the agenda items for the 7 September 2010 meeting of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board.

(3)               Note the update on the Finance Scrutiny Working Group and Performance Scrutiny Working Group meetings.

The Board considered a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which presented the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2010/11. Members noted the Board’s elements of the work programme.

Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board Meeting, 7 September 2010

The Board noted the following agenda items for the 7 September meeting.

Partnership Scrutiny: Cherwell Safer Communities Partnership

The Board noted that the Chairman of the Cherwell Safer Communities Partnership, the Cherwell Local Police (LPA) Commander and the Head of Safer Communities, Urban and Rural Services would attend the Boards September meeting to brief Members of the Cherwell Safer Communities Partnership. This would also be an opportunity for the Board to consider an approach to a scrutiny review of the Partnership.

Budget Scrutiny 2011/12

The Head of Finance explained that the Executive and Corporate Management Team had held an awayday at which they had considered various scenarios for the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy based on achieving different levels of savings. An analysis was underway of statutory and discretionary services to consider potential areas for cuts in light of the assumption that Government will cut grants to Local Authorities.

The Head of Finance noted that Members of the Board had raised the cost of the Council employing consultants as a potential topic for budget scrutiny and advised the Board that the Executive had also suggested a number of areas that the Board may like to consider as part of their budget scrutiny 2011/12:

• Training
• Fees and charges
• Webcasting
• Capital programme

The Board discussed the suggestions and agreed that they would need to decide where their scrutiny process could add value to each area. Members requested that the Head of Finance bring more detailed proposals for the scrutiny of the 2011/12 Budget to the Board’s September meeting.

Finance Scrutiny Working Group Update

The Chairman reported that the Finance Scrutiny Working Group had met on 12 July 2010 and considered the latest financial indicators, the 2009/10 year end revenue and capital outturn and the end of project appraisal for the sports centre modernisation project. The Group had no issues to raise.

Performance Scrutiny Working Group Update

The Chairman reported that the Group had postponed its June meeting as Members wished to consider the draft Development Control and Major Developments Value for Money review. The Senior Democratic and Scrutiny Officer advised the Group that this had been delayed, however it would be ready for the Group to consider at its September meeting. Members of the Group agreed that they would not rearrange the June meeting and would consider all outstanding items at the September meeting.   

Resolved

(1)               That the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board element of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2010/11 be noted.

(2)               That the agenda items for the 7 June meeting of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board be noted.

(3)               That the Head of Finance be invited to bring more detailed proposals for the scrutiny of the 2011/12 Budget to the Board’s September meeting.

(4)               That the updates from the Finance Scrutiny Working Group and Performance Scrutiny Working Group be noted.