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Overview & Scrutiny Committee

This page lists the meetings for Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Meetings

Information about Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Meetings of this committee are audio recorded

 

Constitution: 11 Members (excluding members of the Cabinet and the Chairman of
the Council) based on political proportionality.

The Committee shall report directly to Council. Frequency of Meetings: at least 4 times
per year.


Terms of reference:

 

1.     To consider any matters which affect the authority or the whole or part of its
administrative area or some or all of the inhabitants of that area.

2.     To carry out an overarching scrutiny role. To develop the annual scrutiny work
programme and submit it to Council for agreement.

3.     To develop, scrutinise or review council policies and to make proposals to the
Cabinet, as appropriate, for new or amended policies.

4.     To scrutinise policy decisions to ensure compliance with approved policy objectives
and to review decisions or proposed decisions of the Council, the Cabinet or
officers.

5.     To comment upon and make recommendations to the Cabinet on external reports
and consultation papers.

6.     To consider issues of performance.

7.     To receive reports from the West Sussex Joint Scrutiny Steering Group on any joint
scrutiny reviews carried out and to comment upon and make recommendations, as
necessary, to the Cabinet on those reports and recommendations.

8.     To review performance against the Council’s Corporate Plan and Annual Report
and to report to Council as appropriate.

9.     To consider decisions which have been requested for call-in and to carry out the
powers in relation to Cabinet decisions made but not implemented as set out in
Section 21(3) of the Local Government Act 2000.

10.To consider a petition or a request for a review of the council’s response to a
petition in accordance with the council's petition scheme.

11.To request evidence from or attendance by officers of the Council, members of the
public, local organisations, external bodies and partnerships as covered by scrutiny
guidance and legislation to contribute to and promote transparent scrutiny reviews.

12.To appoint time limited task and finish groups or working groups led by Members, or
to establish one off scrutiny reviews where that is appropriate, to undertake detailed
scrutiny work and to involve both Scrutiny and Non-Scrutiny Members with the
relevant skills or background to assist with those reviews.

13.To have the option to increase the size of the Committee temporarily for specific in
depth reviews by drawing upon Member expertise with specific interest and outside
specialists as appropriate.

14.To procure specialist information services designed to supplement resources
ordinarily available to the Committee using delegated budgetary powers.

15.To consider proposals for change to the scrutiny process and make associated
recommendations as required.

16.To present an Annual Report of the Committee’s work to full Council.

17.To make recommendations to the Cabinet or Council as appropriate. To refer
appropriate matters to the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee for review.

18.To require partner authorities or external organisations to ‘have regard’ to a report
or recommendations as required.

 

Speaking at council and committee meetings