Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Committee considered a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which had previously been considered by the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) at their meeting on 22^nd March, 2017 (their minute 48/17 refers) which detailed the outcomes of the Scrutiny Board’s Public Transport Select Committee held on 15th February, 2017.

The report indicated that in preparation for the Select Committee:

·  Members of the Board visited the House of Commons on 19^th July 2016 sat in on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport to observe Members questioning witnesses, they also met with Clive Betts MP the Chair of Communities and Local Government and questioned him on the process of a Select Committee in the Houses of Parliament.

·  An Advisory Panel of the Board, comprising Councillors Brown, Lancaster, Mayer, and McNicholas (chair), was established to clarify and finalise key lines of enquiry and scope for the meeting.

·  Members attended a number of briefings and were provided with background documentation on: Effective Questioning for Scrutiny; Connecting Coventry – Strategic Transport Investment Programme; Coventry Station Masterplan; and Coventry Rail Story.

·  Members agreed the key lines of enquiry and the witnesses to be invited to provide evidence and also invited representatives from Coventry Older Voices and Transport Focus (the independent transport user watchdog) to participate in the meeting. Twitter and Facebook would also to be used to encourage public participation.

The Select Committee was set out in 3 sessions at which Members received presentations and information from witnesses and raised questions in response:

·  Session 1 - How can train connectivity support economic development and business growth in the city?

·  Session 2 - How can we improve the bus service in the city?

·  Session 3 - What are the key accessibility issues for public transport in the city, and how can they be addressed?

The Committee were informed that Scrutiny Board (3) had agreed the lessons learned and ways to improve the process as follows:

i.  Specific briefings for Cabinet Members by Select Committee Chair and Officers should be held, especially if the themes of the committee span more than one portfolio.

ii.  Members on the select committee attend briefing sessions, avoid substitutions and fully familiarise themselves with background briefing papers.

iii.  Presentations from witnesses should be to introduce their role only and not provide additional or new information.

iv.  The number of witnesses should be kept to a maximum of three per session.

v.  Questions to witnesses should be given one at a time to allow multiple witnesses to respond, and should be limited to 60-90 seconds.

vi.  Questions to witnesses should be prepared prior to the meeting by members of the committee, based on background briefing information and themed or grouped together.

vii.  Careful consideration of payment to expert witness should be made where there are gaps in knowledge by Council officers.

viii.  Council officers who attend as witnesses should be senior officers with responsibility for implementing and managing policy decisions.

ix.  The select committee should be consist of a half-day to question witnesses with additional time for a plenary session, so recommendations can be identified on the day.

x.  Social media and other traditional communications are used well in advance of the meeting to enable questions from the public to be considered as part of the process.

A briefing note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator informed the Committee that at their meeting on 22^nd March, Scrutiny Board 3 had also agreed that Cabinet Members be required to attend all future Scrutiny Select Committees and that advanced publicity for Select Committees be maximised to encourage public participation.

The Committee discussed a number of issues arising from the briefing notes including:

·  For any future Scrutiny Select Committees, the importance of members being fully involved in the complete process

·  Clarification about the attendance of witnesses on the day

·  A suggestion that, in relation to the recommendation to the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration that he commissions a bus user and non-user survey just for Coventry, that Transport for West Midlands be involved in the survey

·  The benefits of having the option to choose either a Scrutiny Select Committee or a Task and Finish Group to investigate an issue

·  The models for Scrutiny work used by other local authorities

·  The selection of members to serve on the Select Committee

Members placed on record their appreciation for all the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Team to ensure the success of the Select Committee meeting.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The benefits of using a Select Committee approach for Scrutiny be noted.

(2) The lessons learned on the process, as detailed in paragraph 14 of the report, for future Select Committee arrangements be noted.

(3) Consideration of suitable subjects for potential Select Committees be discussed by the individual Scrutiny Boards when discussing their work programmes for the new municipal year.

(4) The following two additional Scrutiny Board (3) recommendations from the meeting on 22^nd March be noted:

(i) Relevant Cabinet Members be required to attend all future Select Committees

(ii) Advanced publicity for future Select Committees be maximised to encourage public participation.

(5) With reference to recommendation 3) from the Scrutiny Board (3) meeting, the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration be recommended to involve Transport for West Midlands in any bus user and non-user survey undertaken in Coventry.