Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Summary

This report outlines recent developments in legislation relating to overview and scrutiny as set out in the following:

1)           Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act, 2007

2)           Police and Justice Act, 2006

3)            Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, 2008

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended to:

(1)               Agree that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be formally designated as Cherwell District Council’s crime and disorder scrutiny committee and to recommend to Council that the Constitution is so amended;

(2)               Note that the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Democratic, Scrutiny and Elections Manager have been delegated to develop a draft protocol for the conduct of crime and disorder scrutiny for future consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Agreed

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services submitted a report which outlined recent developments in legislation relating to overview and scrutiny as set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act, 2007; the Police and Justice Act, 2006; and, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, 2008.

Resolved

(1)               That it be agreed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be formally designated as Cherwell District Council’s crime and disorder scrutiny committee and that it be recommended to Council that the Constitution is so amended.

(2)               That it be noted that the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Democratic, Scrutiny and Elections Manager have been delegated to develop a draft protocol for the conduct of crime and disorder scrutiny for future consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Reasons – The formal designation of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as the crime and disorder scrutiny body recognises the importance that the Council places on crime and disorder matters and at the same time takes account of the resources available to support crime and disorder scrutiny and is in keeping with practice in other Oxfordshire district councils.

Options

Councillor Turner left the meeting whilst the following agenda item was discussed.