Agenda item

Scrutiny Work Programme 2019/20

To agree topics for scrutiny this year

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Scrutiny Officer to approve a work programme for 2019/20 following the members’ workshop held on 28 June 2019.

 

Following discussion, the Committee agreed that:

  • Due to the large number of possible issues scrutiny is able to look into, there is a need to be selective when deciding which topics to scrutinise.
  • Scrutiny should focus on issues that the Combined Authority/LEP has the power to directly impact or indirectly influence through ‘soft power’ actions.
  • More external guests should be invited to give evidence this year on key issues, including local academics, businesses, service users and any other stakeholders/partners.
  • There should be a greater effort to compare the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s activity and performance with other combined authority areas with a similar profile and size such as West Midlands, Manchester and Liverpool.
  • With the current resources available to scrutiny, two working groups is likely the maximum number that can be supported at one time – leaving some flexibility for one-off workshops.
  • Consequently, last year’s transport and LEP working groups should not be reappointed and instead more topic-focused ‘task and finish’ groups concentrating on two issues of importance – climate change and outcomes from business grants – be appointed this year.
  • Working groups should form their own focused terms of reference and report back to the main committee.
  • Members interested in being on a working group should inform the scrutiny officer after the meeting.

 

The Committee discussed the topics that scrutiny should focus on this year and concluded that:

 

  • On climate change:
    1. A working group dedicated to climate change should be established and determine its own terms of reference.

    2. Scrutiny should investigate how the declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ will impact the work of the Combined Authority this year in real terms, outcomes and noticeable changes in policy.

 

  1. There should be a focus on assessing possible transport-related, and internal corporate, actions that are within the Combined Authority’s powers and likely to make an impact. It was suggested that actions on reducing carbon dioxide emissions could be particularly impactful.

 

  1. Some of scrutiny’s work last year on connecting environmental policy more closely with transport and planning policy could be expanded upon by the new working group.

  2. There is a possible role for scrutiny to play in ensuring that regional partner councils are sufficiently coordinating environmental strategy and climate change related actions to ensure maximum benefit and avoid duplication.

 

  • On apprenticeships and skills:
    1. That apprenticeships and skills is a topic of increasing urgency and the bleak regional picture presented to the committee in its January and May 2019 meetings remains a cause for concern.

    2. The conclusions of those meetings should be revisited. Particular concerns include:

-   Reports that some schools are not receptive to engagement on apprenticeships or have a stereotypical view of which students apprenticeships are for.

-   Reports of apprenticeships still being used as a box ticking exercise or a source of cheap temporary labour

-   The scope for potential programme of follow up with apprentices to ensure that apprenticeships are a pathway to long term meaningful employment

  1. The committee must distinguish between the national/regional picture and what the Combined Authority can do to change it. It was acknowledged that realistically there are little funds available and the funds and programmes that are in place are subject to many restrictions and limited to specific actions and targets.

 

  1. One possible approach might be to determine what leverage and powers the Combined Authority currently has or could potentially develop. Particularly, with regards to internal and corporate policies and processes.

  2. Representatives from schools, local employers and current/past apprentices should be invited to participate in discussion on this topic this year.

 

  • On achieving targets and strategic performance:
    1. Scrutiny has a responsibility to ensure that strategic goals are being achieved. There should be a particularly stronger focus on monitoring and scrutinising the Combined Authority’s achievement against its key performance indicators (KPIs) with particular attention on those KPIs ‘RAG’ rated red.

 

  1. An evaluation of outcomes from business grants schemes due to come to an end would be a positive exercise in performance monitoring. 

 

  • On the rest of the list of suggested topics (Appendix 1):

 

  1. Some of the topics that might otherwise not be scrutinised further as standalone items could be considered as part of wider topics – such as opportunities from Channel 4’s relocation to Leeds and digital inclusion/exclusion being considered as part of a wider item on skills.

 

  1. Information on what measures the Combined Authority is taking to prepare for Brexit, as much as it can in the currently uncertain environment, be provided to the Committee.

 

  1. That the budget and business planning be on the agenda for the next meeting on 13 September 2019. 

 

Resolved: 

 

i)     That the scrutiny review terms of reference be approved and the Scrutiny Officer report back to a future meeting.

 

ii)    That the Scrutiny Officer circulate the new work programme based on the agreed topics following consultation with lead officers for each topic for advice on the most appropriate and opportune timescales.

 

iii)   That the two working groups (“Transport” and “LEP Review”) from the previous year not be reappointed this year.

 

iv)   That two new task and finish groups focusing on climate change and business grants evaluations be appointed for this municipal year, with the following provisional membership:

·         Climate change: James Baker and Dot Foster

·         Business grants evaluation: Stephen Baines, Stephen Fenton, Jacob Goddard and Geoff Winnard

 

v)    That the appointed task and finish groups be led by the appropriate scrutiny lead, form their own terms of reference and report back to a future committee meeting.

Supporting documents: