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Decision making (Cabinet and Committee information)
Overview and Scrutiny Committee : Terms of Reference
Membership : 8 elected members, politically balanced
Co-opted membership :
- For Best Value reviews, in accordance with the agreed Best Value Review Process;
- For any matter relating to Housing, one co-opted member of the Adur Consultative Forum (who must not be an advisor to the Cabinet or a Cabinet Member).
Quorum : 3
Advisory functions
- To make recommendations to the Cabinet or another appropriate committee in relation to scrutiny input into policy development;
- To make recommendations to Council, any committee or sub committee of the authority or any joint committee on which the local authority is represented, in relation to any work allocated to it (the choice of forum to be for the Committee unless directed by Full Council);
- In relation to decisions made but not yet implemented, the power to recommend the decision be reconsidered by the body who made it or Full Council;
- To make recommendations to Cabinet in relation to performance management and the use of resources;
- To review and scrutinise the performance of the Council in relation to its policy objectives, performance targets and/or particular service areas.
Delegated functions
The following delegated functions are to be exercised in accordance with the Council’s policies and strategies:
- To elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson;
- To require members of the Council and officers of the authority to attend before it to answer questions;
- To call public meetings to receive information and views;
- To request the attendance of other persons to attend meetings of the Committee.
- To perform all overview and scrutiny functions on behalf of the Council;
- To appoint such Sub-Committees, working groups or panels as they consider appropriate to fulfil those overview and scrutiny functions;
- To receive reports from the Leader at their first normal meetings after each Annual Council meeting on ‘the state of the area’, the Executive’s priorities for the coming year and its performance in the previous year;
- To approve an annual overview and scrutiny work programme so as to ensure that the time of the Committee is effectively and efficiently utilised;
- To make an annual report on the workings of scrutiny to Full Council;
- To undertake investigations into such matters relating to the Council’s
functions and powers as:
- may be referred by the council, the leader, the cabinet; individual cabinet members or committees
- each committee may consider appropriate; or
- may have been referred to a committee pursuant to the “call-in” procedure set out in the overview and scrutiny procedure rules in part 4 of this constitution;
- To review and advise on all existing policies of the Council, including making recommendations for future options to the Executive;
- To review arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which the Council’s functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness;
- To monitor the Council’s performance against National Performance Indicators and any locally determined performance indicators and targets identified through reviews;
- To specify (where not laid down by statute or regulation), monitor and review performance indicators for the Council’s services;
- To monitor reviews of the Council’s functions;
- To consider any matter affecting the area or its inhabitants;
- To discuss initiatives put forward for consideration by individual Members of the Council.
Onward limits on delegations
Delegations to the Chief Executive, Strategic Directors, Executive Heads of Service and any limitations imposed are set out in the scheme of delegations to officers.
The specific responsibilities and functions delegated to this Committee are set out in detail in Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution (.PDF 258kb).
See also :
- Agendas, reports and minutes of Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- See list of councillors serving on this committee
- Dates of committee meetings
