The Select Committees have the power to scrutinise any aspect of Council service provision and increasingly have a role in examining those aspects of life in the Borough which are the responsibility of external agencies such as the Police. The majority of work of the Committees is carried out in the from of scrutiny reviews. This is when a Committee decides to examine a subject in depth, sometimes over a period of several months. During the review, the Committee would take evidence from Cabinet Members, council officers, outside organisations and services users. At the end of this process, a report would be drawn up containing recommendations for improvement and this would be presented to the appropriate body, normally Cabinet if looking at Council service issues. Suggestions for scrutiny reviews are welcomed from a variety of sources. Topics can arise from members of Select Committees, members of Cabinet, Council staff and members of the public. Ideas are fed into the Scrutiny Liaison Forum which brings together Cabinet members and the Chairmen of the Select Committees. This provides a platform to debate which topics should be given priority, however the Executive Scrutiny Committee has responsibility for prioritising and co-ordinating the overall scrutiny work programme. In addition to the right to review Council services, the Health and Social Care Act 2001 gives the Adult Services and Health Select Committee the power to review NHS services as they affect the Borough. The local Health Trusts are under a duty to co-operate with the Committee and are expected to respond to Committee reports and recommendations. The Executive Scrutiny Committee is also responsible for dealing with the 'call-in' of Cabinet decisions. This is when six or more non-executive Members of the Council request that a Cabinet decision be given further consideration before implementation takes place. The Committee would examine the issue and if it disagreed with the way in which the original decision was reached, it could refer it back to Cabinet along with a statement of their concerns. If the decision is deemed contrary to the Council's overall policy framework and remit, the decision can be referred to full Council. |
