Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Mr J Bilson, Mr T Egleton, Mr M Edmonds and Mr M Moore.

Mr P Cartwright in the chair.

To declare any personal and prejudicial interest

Mr J Bajina declared an interest as a parent governor.

Minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2009, to be agreed as a correct record.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2009, are to be agreed as a correct record at the meeting on 10 November 2009.

To confirm the Work Programme for the Committee

Members received a copy of the draft Work Programme for the Committee. The Committee was advised that Task and Finish Groups should be held in public and the Chairman suggested that three Task and Finish Groups could be undertaken at any one time; consisting of one Select Committee Style, which may be held over one or two full days and two time limited Task and Finish Groups.

A Member raised concern that Country Parks was not on the work programme and asked if this could be included. The Committee was informed that Mr M Tett, Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment has been invited to attend the next meeting of the Commissioning Committee to be held in November to discuss Country Parks.

Another Member asked if the 11+ verbal reasoning test and process of the 11+ could be looked at, adding that this had not been looked at within the past five years.

The Committee confirmed the work programme as circulated and agreed to add the 11+ process to the work programme. The Committee further agreed that a decision regarding whether Country Parks should be included in the work programme be delayed until after the November meeting of the Commissioning Committee.

Verbal update from Ruth Vigor-Hedderley following her meeting with the Cabinet Member for Transportation, concerning bus route 459, Iver.

Mrs R Vigor-Hedderly provided a verbal update following her meeting with the Cabinet Member for Transport, concerning bus route 459, Iver.

Mrs R Vigor-Hedderly advised that she had met with the Cabinet Member and Mr A Clarke, Group Manager Transport Services. The Member was provided with a timetable which she submitted to Iver Parish Council. Residents in Richings Park were unhappy with the timetable as it did not enable them to access the General Practice (GP) surgery. The Member said that in her opinion this was due to a lack of consultation and that consultation with residents should have been undertaken earlier in the process, to enable Parish Council’s more time to consider and respond appropriately. Time was now running out as the bus company has to start the contract at the end of this month. Mrs R Vigor-Hedderly enquired when the contract would be reviewed and the Cabinet Member advised this would be undertaken in 12 months time.

Mr P Hardy advised that the new timetable now encompasses the area of Hedgerley, for which he is the local Member and said that there had been no debate with the community.

The Cabinet Member for Transport had mentioned to Mrs R Vigor-Hedderly that for this decision, Officers had decided on the level of consultations undertaken. The Member suggested this should have been a full consultation. The Chairman informed the Committee that Buckinghamshire County Council’s consultation process will be considered as part of the work programme and that the Cabinet Member for Transport will be attending the November meeting of the Commissioning Committee to report back on bus consultations.

Background to the Review - Chairman

In Phase 1 of the review, four Working Groups were formed to gather information from the following portfolio areas:

·Children and Young People

·Adults and Family Wellbeing

·Communities and Built Environment

·Business and Customer Transformation

Members of the Working Groups interviewed the Heads of Service, to identify the minimum level of service provision in their areas, and discuss what is considered to be discretionary. Fifteen, two hour Heads of Service meetings were held over a four week period. Members discussed the difficulty of this in practice as legislative requirements change and what is currently considered discretionary may become a statutory function at a future point. Following these initial information gathering sessions an interim report will be produced for the Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee to consider and subsequently submitted to Cabinet in late November 2009.

Members were advised that in Phase 2 they will need to consider two service areas to scrutinise in further detail. The planned timescale for phase 2 is from November 2009 – March 2010.

Tuesday 10 November 2009, 10am, Mezzanine Room 3, County Hall, Aylesbury

Tuesday 10 November 2009, 10am, Mezzanine Room 3, County Hall, Aylesbury

To resolve to exclude the press and public as the following item is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded for the following item which is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Chairmen of the Working Groups will have an opportunity to feed back on their meetings with Heads of Service.

The Chairmen of the Working Groups reported their findings and Members discussed the issues arising in each of the Service areas.

Mrs M Baldwin attended the meeting and Members agreed she could stay for the duration of the meeting.

Chairman of the Commissioning Committee to lead a discussion on which Service Areas Phase 2 of the Review will focus on.

The Chairman advised that Mr T Egleton had suggested the following two Service Areas be the focus of the Phase 2 review.

• Adults and Family Wellbeing
• Transport

The Chairman advised Members that a consensus view of the Committee was required to move forward.

Following discussions, Members voted on the proposed Service Areas and agreed that Transport and Achievement and Learning be the focus of Phase 2 of the review.

Members to discuss and agree the outcomes for Phase 2 of the Review.

The Committee discussed their expectations for Phase 2 of the review and recommended that the review consider the following:

• Level of Service provision provided
• Whether the service could be provided differently
• Impact of level of service – e.g for staff, partners and residents
• Could alternative funding be found
• Highlight policy options for Cabinet to debate.

A Member asked if there was a danger of overlapping with Transformation. Mrs C Street, Policy Officer said the report will recognise the various schemes which are currently ongoing within the Council.

To agree the formation of Task Groups for Phase 2 of the Review.

The Chairman invited Members of the Commissioning Committee to Chair the two Task and Finish Groups. He said that each Task and Finish Group would be chaired by a Member of the Commissioning Committee, be made up of a maximum of 8 Members and comply with the rules on proportionality unless exceptional reasons apply.

A Member enquired whether it was permitted to send substitutes to the Task and Finish Groups. The Committee was informed that this was prescribed in the Constitution as follows:

1. Whilst members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Commissioning Committee, substitutes may be permitted to attend meetings of the Committee at the Chairman’s discretion.
2. Council members appointed to the task and finish Groups will not normally be permitted to send substitutes to meetings.

It was commented that continuity of Members was required for task and finish groups but agreed that should there be exceptional reasons substitutes for task and finish groups should be permitted at the discretion of the Chairman of the Commissioning Committee.

It was agreed that the Chairman and membership of the task and finish groups be confirmed outside the meeting.