Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services that provided a list of key decisions which were scheduled to be considered by the Executive (for copy see file of minutes).

The Committee Services Manager reported that since the last update there had been the following movement in items being considered at Cabinet:-

·         Bishop Auckland Regeneration Framework Review had been moved from February to March;

·         Council Plan and Service Plans 2015-18 also moved to the meeting in March;

·         County Durham Plan including the Inspectors report had been added to the notice for the meeting in March.

Following comments from this Committee, the Chairman advised that a report was taken to the Constitution Working Group to consider the information contained in the Notice of Key Decisions, which some members felt should be reviewed. The Constitution Working Group agreed that there would be a further discussion between the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny and the Executive on the issues raised. He met with the Leader to discuss the approach and concluded that the current approach to publication would be maintained for three reasons:

• the Government changed the rules to reduce publication requirements, and the current approach conforms to the Secretary of State’s new rules;
• in reality the timing of Cabinet items can and often does move at a planning stage, so to publish fuller information would require frequent amendments to timescales, and so would be of limited help to plan scrutiny work programmes;
• Cabinet members regularly take part in Executive/Non Executive planning meetings between the Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Chairs/ Vice Chairs. These meetings already provide the opportunity for the Executive to provide more information on items that are coming forward but which are not yet firmed up to help Chairs/Vice Chairs with planning the scrutiny work programme.

Resolved:

That the information contained in the report be noted.