Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 19 December 2022.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 19 December 2022 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

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

No declarations were made.

To consider a joint presentation of the Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer), the Assistant Director, Legal & Democratic Governance, the CSS Strategic Head of Service, Finance and the CSS Head of Service, Internal Audit, Risk & Insurance.

The report provides details relating to the proposed actions and improvements to strengthen further Stockport’s response to Local Government Financial and Governance Sustainability.

The Panel is requested to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Michael Cullen, email: michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive (Michael Cullen) attended the meeting and made a presentation that aimed to identify proposed actions and improvements that would strengthen further Stockport’s response to Local Government Financial and Governance Sustainability.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The presentation and draft recommendations contained therein accurately represented the discissions and considerations of the Panel at its previous meeting.

·         With regard to the draft recommendation relating to improvements to the member training offer, it was suggested that monitoring reports to the scrutiny committee should contain confirmation that staff and member regulatory training requirements had been completed.

·         It was important that member training attendance was being recorded to allow the council to demonstrate that its members had the right skills, knowledge and understanding to perform in their roles.

·         Consideration should be given to the categories of member training that should be made mandatory in addition to the existing planning, licensing and employment law training that members must receive to sit on relevant committees.

·         There needed to be regular and consistent updates or ‘top-up’ training provided to members to ensure that emerging legislation or changes in practice were being appropriately cascaded.

RESOLVED – (1) That Michael Cullen be thanked for his attendance and presentation.

(2) That, subject to the comments of the Panel, the draft recommendations contained in the presentation be endorsed.

To provide the Panel with the opportunity to discuss the information and evidence presented by officers and witnesses, receive responses to questions relating to the scope of the review and formulate recommendations.

This item was considered in conjunction with agenda item 3 (see Minute 3 above).

To propose and agree new dates for future meetings of the scrutiny review and the timescales for completing the review.

The Deputy Chief Executive reported that in the light of the timescales for the conclusion and reporting of the recommendations of the Panel, it was proposed that the Panel need not formally meet again, and that a draft of the final report be circulated to members of the Panel for their comment in advance of its submission to the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee on 28 February 2022.

RESOLVED – That the position be noted.