Issue - meetings

To comment on the Budget Scrutiny process (as defined in the Overview & Scrutiny Committee protocol) and make any suggestions for improvement.

Members discussed the budget scrutiny process and the following was noted:

·               It would be useful to have variants of previous budgets.

·               Members questioned why the meeting was not in the Council Chamber where it could be webcast.

·               It could be beneficial for OSC members to meet with Cabinet on a regular basis to enable a more strategic view of current issues and themes across the Council.

·               There was a feeling that often scrutiny was not involved in discussions on how scrutiny works.

·               Where savings / expenditure were over a certain threshold (to be agreed), there should be more explanation and information provided.

·               It was felt that the process worked better than last year overall, however there tends to be a choice to be made between looking at an area in depth as opposed to a breadth of areas.

·               Members of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel felt that the Voluntary sector would be better placed in the terms of reference of their panel given the nature of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Haringey and the close links with the work of the panel.

·               It was suggested that in future Members could have a meeting to consider the draft MTFP and identify areas which they would like further information.  This could then be provided at the budget scrutiny meeting for Members to consider alongside the draft MTFP.

ACTIONS:

To enable OSC to have a more strategic view of current issues and themes across the Council OSC should meet with Cabinet twice per annum.  The Chair agreed to speak to the Leader about a way forward with this.

ACTION: Councillor Rice

The Chair agreed to follow up why the meeting was not in the Council Chamber to ensure it was webcast.

ACTION: Councillor Rice

The written briefing to Yvonne Denny (Co-Optee) on Tottenham High Road would be followed up with a meeting between Yvonne, Cllr Strickland and Marc Dorfman.

ACTION: Marc Dorfman / Councillor Strickland

In future budget sessions it would be useful to have variants of previous budgets.

ACTION: Kevin Bartle