Council and councillors

To receive Report No. 74/2022 from the Monitoring Officer.

Report No. 74/2022 was presented by Councillor O Hemsley, Leader of the Council and he proposed the updated recommendations which were circulated at the meeting.

Councillor P Ainsley proposed an amendment to the motion with recommendations 1 and 4 remaining the same. Recommendation 2 changing to a 2-committee system for Scrutiny as outlined in Appendix A to the report. Recommendation 3 would change to a review and report back to Council on the effectiveness of the new 2-committee and commission system in March 2023 after a full municipal year’s operation and that was seconded.

Members in favour set out that Working Groups and Task and Finish Groups would still be put together with the proposed 2-committee system. There would not be a need to go into a 1-committee system to have effective Scrutiny.

It was also considered that Members agreed better training was needed for Members around the Scrutiny function within the Council and increased engagement was also required.

Members against the amendment felt one strategic scrutiny panel allowed far greater flexibility in terms of mechanisms that are available. The flexibility aspect also allowed Members to work according to the need of the task in hand rather than being tied up in process and constitution rules.

Members who had particular interests in certain areas would still be able to get involved with the original proposals. It was also suggested by other Members that targeted scrutiny would be an improvement to the current system we have in place. Several Members welcomed the potential reduced costs with the proposed improved function.

It was also felt that the recent success of the finished Task and Finish Group would in the future have the same results from the proposals set out in the recommendations of the report.

After the debate, this was put to the vote, with 3 votes in favour, 18 votes against and 3 abstentions, the motion was defeated.

The debate then returned to the substantive motion.

Several Members raised concerns about the arrangements were pushed through in time for Annual Council in May. They highlighted that there were no details on how the new process would operate and what impact it would have on the Council.

Other Members felt a change was required and that to trial the new 1-committee system for a year and have it reviewed in March 2023 and for Members to welcome the new way of working.

Councillor M Oxley moved an amendment that the arrangements be deferred until the Constitution Review Working Group had discussed the proposed 1-committee system and for a final report to come back to Council to make a decision, this amendment was seconded.

Councillor A Walters supported the proposed amendment and agreed that he needed more information to be able to make a decision on the proposal.

After the debate, this was put to the vote, with 11 votes in favour, 12 votes against and 1 abstentions, the motion was defeated.

The Chairman then informed Members that he would take the recommendations individually from the original motion and the voting was as follows:

-        With all Members voting in favour, the first recommendation was unanimously carried.

-        With 13 votes in favour, 10 against and 1 abstention, the second recommendation was carried.

-        With 20 votes in favour, 0 against and 4 abstentions, the third recommendation was carried.

-        With 18 votes in favour, 4 against and 2 abstentions, the fourth recommendation was carried.

RESOLVED

That Council APPROVED the recommendations of the Constitution Review Working Group that:

1. The Council relaunch the Scrutiny function, championed by the Scrutiny Commission, the Leader of the Council, and the Chief Executive, with a Rutland Scrutiny Improvement Plan setting out the ambition and expectations for the function based on a partnership of mutual respect, transparency, and constructive challenge.
2. The Council should move away from the existing 3-committee and commission system for overview and scrutiny to a single Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee as outlined in 4.2.3 and detailed in Appendix A.
3. There will be a review and report back to Council on the effectiveness of the Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee in March of 2023 after a full municipal year’s operation.
4. The Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Constitution Review Working Group be authorised to make the necessary and consequential changes to the Constitution as part of the pending review of the Constitution subject to approval by full Council.