To review the procedure in connection with questions to scrutiny committees and cabinet and, if necessary, make recommendations to Council to amend the Constitution.

The solicitor to the council presented the report and highlighted the following:

·         Questions to scrutiny committees were not working well and following consultation with the scrutiny chair and vice persons, there was a proposal to change these arrangements.   

·         If there was a question at the scrutiny committee, it was being proposed that the relevant cabinet member provide an answer.    It was acknowledged that this may be mixing functions but would be better than the current arrangements which can cause frustration.

The committee were in agreement to make a recommendation to Council to change the constitution with regard to the treatment of questions to scrutiny as outlined in paragraph 3, option 2 of the report, subject to amendment with regard to the cabinet member making reasonable endeavours to attend the scrutiny committee. 

The solicitor to the council also outlined that there was a proposal to change the questions to cabinet procedure so that the deadline was 9.30 am on the third working day prior to the meeting (which would mean 9.30 am on a Monday as Cabinet met on a Thursday). 

The committee were in agreement to make this recommendation to amend the constitution to council.

It was noted that the issue of whether or not group leaders could ask questions at Cabinet would be considered by the re-thinking governance working group. 

RESOLVED That

(a)          Subject to the words after cabinet member “making reasonable endeavours to attend scrutiny meetings” being inserted, the committee recommend that the process for public and member questions at scrutiny be amended with effect from the council meeting on 14 February 2020;

(b)         The deadline for cabinet questions be amended to 9.30 am on the third working day after publication be recommended to council for approval with effect from the council meeting on 14 February 2020

(c)  authority be delegated to the solicitor to the council to make technical amendments (grammatical, formatting, and consistency) necessary to finalise the revised constitution;.