Agenda item

The Council noted the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2019/20 (for copy see file of Minutes).

Councillor R Crute, Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board presented the report to Council.  The report covered a longer period than usual, including scrutiny work from May 2019 up to the summer recess in 2020.  As with so many things in 2020 scrutiny had needed to change the way it carried out its work.  The work programme had been paused in March 2020 due to the global pandemic and while officers and Members were busy supporting communities across County Durham.  Once emergency legislation was introduced and remote meetings could take place scrutiny was able to restart the work programme, but this needed to be re-prioritised with a reduced number of meetings.  This inevitably meant that some work which was planned to be carried out could not be completed and therefore some review work would carry on into 2020/21.

Councillor Crute provided Council with some of the work covered during the year in the thematic committees as follows:

·        The Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had engaged in a number of statutory consultations on proposed changes to the delivery of health services.  The Committee also continued its review of GP provision.

·        A joint committee with Members of the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Environment and Sustainable Communities Committee considered proposals for the extension of the community water fluoridation scheme.

·        The Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee worked jointly with the Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on a review of children’s residential care homes.  The Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee had also carried out a review of elective home education and prior to lockdown the Committee had continued its practice of engaging with young people with a successful meeting held in Durham Johnston School.

·        The Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee monitored a proposed selective licensing scheme for the County and also considered the continued development of key strategic employment sites and continued to monitor the progress of the County Durham Plan and the Housing Strategy for County Durham.

·        The Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee undertook a review of the County Council’s proposed future allotment policy and provided a comprehensive response to the Climate Emergency consultation and would continue to monitor progress of the Climate Emergency Response Plan and the County Council’s Carbon Management Plan.

·        The Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee provided comment on the Safe Durham Partnership Plan and undertook review activity on the development of a road safety strategy.  The Committee also had one of its earlier recommendations on Cyber Crime fulfilled with the production of a film called Hack which highlighted the dangers of cyber crime.

·        The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board contributed to the budget process through consideration of the Medium Term Financial Plan.  In times of continued austerity and increasing financial uncertainty this was a significant undertaking.  The Committee had also monitored performance and contributed to the consultation process for the Vision for County Durham 2035.

Scrutiny continued to take part in a considerable amount of partnership working, including scrutinising the NHS, taking part in the North East Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Joint Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor J Robinson placed on record the thanks of all of the Scrutiny Committees to Councillor Crute for the excellent way he chaired Scrutiny and for his support of all Chairs and Vice-Chairs.