To receive for apologies for absence (to include reasons, where appropriate) from Members / Officers.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members for the reasons so stated:

Councillor L Ellis - Family commitment

Councillor E M Hughes – Family commitment

Councillor M Thomas – Unwell

Councillor K J Watts – Holiday

Councillor C E Smith – Medical appointment. 

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including Whipping Declarations)

None. 

To receive for approval, the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety and

Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 17 March 2015.

RESOLVED:               That the minutes of the Community Safety & Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 17 March 2015 were approved as a true and accurate record.  

Invitees:

Councillor C E Smith

Kelly Watson – Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report which provided information on the legal services collaboration, which is a collaboration as a result of Monitoring Officers from Bridgend, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire Councils recognising the future resilience problems to be faced. Powys County Council had joined the collaboration since 2012. 

The Committee questioned whether the underspend in Legal & Regulatory Services had been re-allocated.  The Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services informed the Committee that a decision on the re-allocation of the underspend back to Legal & Regulatory Services had yet to be made by the Finance Department. 

The Committee questioned whether the Council was getting its fair share of legal services from the collaboration and were there instances when the legal services collaboration was not available to the Council.  The Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services informed the Committee that the Directorate relied on the joint legal services team to undertake work on its behalf from time to time. She stated that the Planning Lawyer engaged by the authority for 3 days per week is employed by the joint legal services team with the bulk of that officer’s work being undertaken for this authority.  The authority also used the joint legal services team to undertake property law work and the Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services believed the authority is getting an equal share from the joint legal services team.  The Committee asked whether there were any instances whereby the joint legal services team was not available to the authority.  The Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services was not aware of such instances of the joint legal services team not being available but the authority has had to wait for work to be carried out. 

The Committee requested clarification regarding concerns that the framework agreement for externalising work to solicitors and barristers may not be as effective as the previous framework.  The Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services informed the Committee that the previous framework agreement had come to an end on 31 March 2015.  The previous framework agreement had resulted in very good rates being received from solicitors and barristers.  She stated there was now a push to using the National Procurement Service (NPS), however the new framework agreement was not yet up and running.  Under the new framework agreement, the NPS would approach barristers’ chambers as opposed to officers approaching chambers.  She stated that the NPS would charge a levy and it was unlikely the rates charged would as competitive as the previous framework agreement. 

The Committee questioned referred to the Directorate making budget cuts year on year and questioned how it was able to keep delivering services and whether an assessment has been made of the impact of those budget cuts on service users / other Directorates.  The Group Manager Legal & Democratic Services informed the Committee that some Directorates require more advice from Legal & Regulatory Services and where services require additional advice the joint legal services team would be contacted to ascertain whether they have capacity to provide that advice.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report outlining the suggested topics for consideration in the development of the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for 2015-16.  An outline Forward Work Programme had been developed utilising a list of suggested criteria such as Initial Reasons, Risk, Performance Measures, Community Perception, Budget and external factors for the identification of topics for investigation.

Conclusion

The Committee considered the suggested topics for inclusion in the Forward Work Programme for 2015-16 and to identify 12 primary topics for inclusion in the programme.  It was acknowledged that some of the dates for the items on the Forward Work Programme may be subject to change following the meeting and Members were asked for their contribution to be received in time for inclusion in the Forward Work Programme Update to be reported at the next Partnerships and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 16 September 2015.

The Committee received an update from Councillor J E Lewis, who was the former Community Safety and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Corporate Parenting Champion on the work being undertaken by the Corporate Parenting Cabinet - Committee.         

Conclusions:

The Committee noted the Corporate Champion’s update. 

The Scrutiny Officer submitted a report seeking a nominee from the Committee as its Corporate Parenting Champion as an invitee on meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting; nominations for the Budget Research and Evaluation Panel in line with the recommendations of the Corporate Resources & Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee made as part of the 2015/16 budget setting process.  The Scrutiny Officer also sought nominations from five members of the Committee to sit on the Local Service Board Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

RESOLVED:               (1) That Councillor K J Watts be nominated as its Corporate Parenting Champion to represent the Committee at meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

(2)  That the Chairperson of the Partnerships & Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Councillor A D Owen be nominated to represent the Committee on the standing Budget Research and Evaluation Panel.

(3)  That Councillors N Clarke, A D Owen, C Westwood, H E Morgan and E Dodd be nominated as the five Members of the Committee to serve on the Local Service Board Overview and Scrutiny Panel. 

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report which detailed the items to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee and sought confirmation of the information and invitees required.   

Conclusion

The Committee noted the topics to be considered at the Committee meeting on 16 September, to determine the any specific information and research it would like the Overview and Scrutiny Team to undertake in relation to its meeting on 29 October and to consider and revise the list of future potential items for the Committee Forward Work Programme and reprioritise as the Committee feels appropriate.

To consider any items of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency

There were no urgent items.