Issue - meetings

On:-

(a)  Matters (if any) referred to the Cabinet Meeting

(b)  Any called-in Cabinet Executive Decisions

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) reported that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee at its meeting on 26 April 2021 considered a report outlining the previous decision of the Scrutiny Committee that it would undertake a Scrutiny Review entitled “The Scrutiny of Outside Bodies” which would include within its remit the governance of those bodies established by the Council to manage or exercise certain functions with regard Totally Local Company, Stockport Homes Limited and Life Leisure; specifically the Contributors Committee, the Member Committee and the Funding Committee.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee noted that the progress made in undertaking this review was behind where it had hoped to be and it was acknowledged that the review could not be completed within the remainder of the current Municipal Year. 

However, it agreed to request that that the Cabinet investigate the current arrangements for the discharge of the governance-related functions relating to the Council’s partner  organisations currently exercised by the Contributors, Funding and Member Committees and to determine whether these remained the most appropriate structures for this purpose in the light of the experience and examples of good practice from elsewhere in the country.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the undertaking of an investigation into the current arrangements for the discharge of the governance-related functions relating to the Council’s partner organisations and has requested the Corporate Directors for Corporate & Support Services and Place develop a response for the Cabinet’s consideration.

To consider a report of the Strategic Head of Service & Monitoring Officer (Legal and Democratic Governance).

At the Scrutiny Co-ordination committee meeting held on the 27 July 2020 it was resolved that the Committee would undertake a Scrutiny Review entitled “The Scrutiny of Outside Bodies”.

The Governance of the following Outside Bodies is the subject of the Scrutiny Review:-

·         Totally Local Company Limited - Contributors Committee;

·         Stockport Homes Limited - Member Committee; and

·         Life Leisure – Funding Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider how it might make a positive contribution to the governance of the Council’s partner organisations and to determine the following aspects of the Review:

•           The scope of the review.

•           The aims of the review.

•           The objectives of the review.

Officer Contact: Vicki Bates on 0161 474 3219 or email: vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Strategic Head of Service & Monitoring Officer (Legal and Democratic Governance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the previous decision of the Scrutiny Committee that it would undertake a Scrutiny Review entitled “The Scrutiny of Outside Bodies” which would include within its remit the governance of those bodies established by the Council to manage or exercise certain functions with regard Totally Local Company, Stockport Homes Limited and Life Leisure; specifically the Contributors Committee, the Member Committee and the Funding Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The progress made by the Scrutiny Committee in undertaking this review was behind where it had hoped to be and it was acknowledged that the review could not be completed within the remainder of the current Municipal Year.

·         The report provided a useful baseline in understanding where and how the Council developed the structures that it currently had in place.

·         There was a general consensus amongst members of the Scrutiny Committee that the current structure by which these functions were exercised was non-optimal.

·         There were a range of examples of how these governance-related functions were discharged elsewhere in the country by councils with similar arms-length arrangements for its housing, direct operations and leisure services from which Stockport could learn.

·         It would be useful to have an understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of the current arrangements in Stockport.

·         It was important that an appropriate distinction was drawn between the role of members as decision-makers and scrutineers when exercising the functions of these committees.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation and how this had been established.

·         Clarity was requested with regard to the date on which leisure functions were transferred to Stockport Sports Trust.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Cabinet be recommended to investigate the current arrangements for the discharge of the governance-related functions relating to the Council’s partner organisations currently exercised by the Contributors, Funding and Member Committees and to determine whether these remained the most appropriate structures for this purpose in the light of the experience and examples of good practice from elsewhere in the country.