Council Constitution

Part 3a - Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation

7. Resources And Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel

1. To review and scrutinise the decisions made or actions taken in connection with the discharge of any of the Council’s Executive functions relating to the Resources and Sustainable Communities Sectors.
   
   
2. That in accordance with Section 19 of Part 3 of the Police and Justice Act 2006, this Scrutiny Panel be designated as the Council’s ‘Crime and Disorder Committee’ with power to:
    
   1. review and scrutinise decisions made or other action taken in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder functions;
   2. to make reports or recommendations to the Council with respect to the discharge of these functions.
       
3. To make requests or recommendations to the full Council and/or the Executive and/or any District Assembly or joint committee in connection with the discharge of any Executive functions in accordance with the Council’s Call In Procedure.
   
   
4. To consider any matter affecting the area or its inhabitants relating to the Resources and Sustainable Communities Sectors.
   
   
5. To exercise the right to call in for reconsideration executive decisions made but not yet implemented by the Executive, District Assembly or Panel.
   
   
6. To examine whether the Council is meeting its objectives set through the budget and policies and if this is not the case to suggest ways in which the Council may achieve this.
   
   
7. The Scrutiny Panel will receive decisions and relevant papers from the Executive Cabinet. The Panel will have the right to question Cabinet Members and Senior Managers on the implementation of decisions policies and the budget.
   
   
8. In the event of any dispute howsoever arising as to whether the Scrutiny Panel has authority to consider any matter such dispute shall be referred to the Borough Solicitor who shall at his/her absolute discretion either:-. 
   
     i.  provide a decision on the matter; or
     ii.  refer the matter to the Speakers Panel (Planning) for a decision.
   
   
9. The Scrutiny Panel shall not consider any matter relating to standards of behaviour, conduct, ethics or probity, directly or indirectly involving any Member or Officer of the Council. Any such matter(s) shall, without debate, be immediately referred to the Borough Solicitor (and in the case of financial matters, also the Borough Treasurer) who shall on receipt of such information seek further information as the Borough Solicitor, or her/his nominee considers necessary, to prepare a full report for consideration by the Standards Committee or Standards Board for England and thereafter the Borough Solicitor, or her/his nominee, shall submit a report for consideration, without delay, to the Standards Committee or Standards Board for England where appropriate.
   
   
10. To present to Council the final report of all Scrutiny Reviews with the appropriate Cabinet Deputy given the opportunity to make a formal response to the report.
    
    
11. To monitor and evaluate progress of recommendations of Scrutiny Reports, as appropriate.
    
    
12. To carry out an internal evaluation of individual Service Reviews within the remit of the Panel. 
    
    
13. Scrutiny Panels cannot consider any matters that are the responsibility of the Speakers Panels nor scrutinise any of their decisions.