The Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees, as set out in Article 6 of the Constitution will be automatically appointed to the Scrutiny Commission for the period of their office.

The Scrutiny Commission will co-ordinate the work of the Scrutiny Committees but it is not itself a Scrutiny Committee. The Scrutiny Commission has no power to establish any Committees or amend its Terms of Reference.

Terms of Reference

1.    To approve an annual overview and scrutiny work programme, including the programme of any Sub-Committee appointed by a Scrutiny Committee to ensure that there is efficient use of all Committees' and sub-committees’ time, and that the potential for duplication of effort is minimised.

2.    Where matters fall within the remit of more than one Scrutiny Committee or Sub-Committee to determine which of them will assume responsibility for any particular issue, and to resolve any issues of dispute between Scrutiny Committees.

3.    To receive requests from the Cabinet and/or the full Council for reports from Scrutiny Committees and to allocate them, if appropriate, to one or more Scrutiny Committees.

4.    To put in place and maintain a system to ensure that referrals from overview and scrutiny to the Cabinet, either by way of report or for reconsideration are managed efficiently and do not exceed the limits set out in this Constitution.

5.    At the request of the Cabinet, to make decisions about the priority of referrals made in the event of reports to the Cabinet exceeding limits in this Constitution, or if the volume of such reports creates difficulty for the management of Cabinet business or jeopardises the efficient running of Council business.

6.    To have the powers of a Scrutiny Committee in relation to Cabinet decisions made but not implemented as set out in section 21(3) of the Local Government Act 2000, as do all other Scrutiny Committees. See Procedure Rule 206 (Call-In of decisions).