Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest declared.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20^th April, 2016 were signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Briefing Note of the Head of Environmental Services

(1) Presentation by Councillor Abdul Khan, Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities and Chair of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Board providing an overview of the membership and remit of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Board 

(2) Presentation by Chief Superintendent Danny Long, West Midlands Police on the end of year performance data concerning the crime statistics for the city

(3) The Scrutiny Co-ordinator will report on the current West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Consultation

Chief Inspector Helen Kirkman, West Midlands Police and Councillor P Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities have also been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a briefing note of the Executive Director of Place concerning the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Partnership Board including the remit and membership of the Board and its individual Sub-Groups; the scope of the planned review of the Board; the allocation of monies from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC); and the end of year performance report to the Board. Reference was also made to the current PCC consultation on the new Police and Crime Plan. Chief Inspector Danny Long, West Midlands Police attended the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillor P Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities.

The briefing note indicated that the Board was created in 2013 and met on a quarterly basis. The main functions were to provide the governance for the work of the statutory Community Safety Partnership and to take responsibility for ensuring compliance with statutory duties and responsibilities. Appendices to the note set out terms of reference; the relationships with other local Boards in the city; and the membership which comprised senior representatives from the responsible authorities along with representatives from community/special interest groups, voluntary sector, social housing and business. There were four Sub Groups reporting to the Board as follows:

·  Victim Support and Harm Reduction Partnership

·  Coventry Offender Management Group

·  Prevent, Prepare and Protect

·  City Wide Tasking and Co-ordination Group.

The Committee were informed that at the next Board meeting on 21^st July, 2016 permission would be sought to carry out a review of the Coventry Community Safety Partnership’s activities. The review would be designed so that the Board and its membership would be representative of all strands of community safety within the city, with proper accountability for the Sub Groups. The scope for the review was detailed.

In the current financial year the Board received £409,728 from the Police and Crime Commissioner which represented a 25% reduction from the previous year. The PCC did allow the Board to carry over £82,750 from under from underspends in the previous year. Further information on the Board’s funding decisions allocated to local priorities was set out in an appendix. 

Chief Inspector Danny Long reported on the end of year performance report. Headline figures included a 1.5% increase in domestic violence and abuse including a significant increase in incidents where children were present; an increase in reports of sexual violence and abuse; hate crime reports remaining stable; and a downward trend in the recorded reports for anti-social behaviour. Members were informed of the importance of encouraging the reporting of crimes which could lead to upward trends in the performance data. 

Members were made aware of the current consultation by the PCC on his priorities for the new Police and Crime Plan for 2017/18.

Members questioned the officers and Chief Inspector Long on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

• If training was available for Board members of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Partnership Board
• The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Report of the Executive Director of People

Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

Prior to the meeting, all Members of the City Council had been invited to attend a Seminar where they had received a comprehensive presentation on the Council Plan Performance 2015/16. Members had also been given an opportunity to question officers on the presentation.

The Committee gave brief consideration to a report of the Executive Director of People concerning Council Plan Performance Report which covered the progress made towards the Plan during the period April 2015 to March 2016. A copy of the Performance report was set out at an appendix to the report. The report had previously been considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 5^th July, 2016 and Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

Consideration of the report allowed Members the opportunity to identify any areas that required additional scrutiny. Members noted that issues raised at the Members’ Seminar were already included on either their or the Scrutiny Boards’ Work Programmes.

Members questioned the officer on several issues concerning the performance report and responses were provided, matters raised included highlighting the austerity cuts and their impact on performance in future reports and further information about what constituted ‘A Top Ten City’.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The content of the performance report for 2015/16 be noted and for future reports simple information be included on the reduction in funding imposed on the Council and the impact that this has had on performance.

(2) The minutes and report from the meeting of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee held on 24^th February, 2016 relating to ‘Coventry – A Top Ten City’ be circulated to members.

Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Committee considered a briefing note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator which set out proposed reporting arrangements for outside bodies to Scrutiny during 2016/17. Further details were set out in the appendix attached to the note.

The Committee were reminded that the terms of reference for Scrutiny included a role in receiving reports on outside bodies to which the Council made appointments at their annual meeting. There was a requirement for the Committee to consider which outside bodies it wished to receive reports on as the start of the municipal year. 

Previously, to help manage Scrutiny business, the Committee had agreed to receive reports from those outside bodies who received Council funding. In addition the outside bodies for which members received remuneration had also been included.

(1) The amended list of outside bodies that report to Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee as detailed in Section A of Appendix 1 be approved.

(2) The minutes of the meetings of the Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company Limited Shareholders Panel be circulated to members.

(3) The content and requirements of the reporting template set out at Appendix 2 be approved which includes details on member attendance at meetings.

(4) Officers be requested to timetable the required outside body reports on the appropriate work programmes.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Board noted a report from the Scrutiny Co-ordinator setting out how it was intended to report back on outstanding issues at each meeting so enabling Members to monitor the progress of the actions that they had agreed.

RESOLVED that the template for the outstanding issues report set out at the appendix to the briefing note and the examples from 2015/16 be noted.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Committee considered their work programme along with the work programmes for the five Scrutiny Boards which had been complied following discussions at the informal meetings of the Boards.  

RESOLVED that:

(1) The content of the Scrutiny work programme attached to Appendix 1 to the briefing note be approved.

(2) The Committee noted that the results of the Task and Finish Group on European Issues would be reported back to Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee but retain the membership agreed by the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) plus the addition of Councillor Lancaster.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no additional items of public business.