Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 11 December 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report outlines the arrangements in place in ensuring that decisions being taken at the Greater Manchester level, and which consequently necessitate the exercising of executive functions at Stockport, are open to scrutiny at a local level.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Craig Ainsworth on Tel: 474 3204 or email: craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the arrangements in place to ensure that decisions being taken at a Greater Manchester level, which necessitate the exercising of executive functions by the Local Authority, are open to the Local Authority scrutiny process.

Councillors discussed the constitutional arrangements of the Combined Authority including the powers of the Mayor in respect to the proposed Scrutiny arrangements. It was suggested that evening meetings would be preferable to day time ones and further clarification was requested in respect to the call in procedure rules.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the comments of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee be considered as part of the Council’s response to the proposed changes for the Scrutiny arrangements for the Combined Authority.

To consider a joint report of the Corporate Directors for Services to People and Corporate and Support Services. (To Follow)

The report provides a further update on progress relating to the Stockport Together programme for integrating health and social care and describes and seeks approval to the steps that need to be taken to formalise important aspects of the integrated arrangements. These include areas such as governance, leadership, management and finances.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Steve Houston on 0161 474 4000 or email: steve.houston@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive and the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment proposals for the Stockport Together programme for integrating health and social care. The Chair explained that she had requested the report to enable the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee to consider the process for Scrutiny Committees considering future updates.

Councillors discussed the problems associated with scrutinising reports that affected a number of the Executive portfolios and consequently a number of Scrutiny Committees. They discussed options including the potential for amending the constitution to enable meetings of Joint Scrutiny Committees to take place or the holding of simultaneous meetings of two or more Scrutiny Committees.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to give further consideration to how best to scrutinise reports that contain information relevant to two or more Scrutiny Committees.