Setting out Scrutiny Committee's role for 2015-16

The Scrutiny Committee will be setting out its aims as well as a draft work programme at its meeting on Tuesday July 14th.

This extract from the report to be considered at the meeting gives details of the Committee's approach:
 

3.1       Scrutiny activities will be led and co-ordinated by the Scrutiny Committee. This Committee will meet up to 10 times during the year.  The Committee consists of fourteen members comprising eight Councillors, four voting education co-opted members and two non-voting co-opted members. The voting co-opted members only have voting rights in relation to education functions.

3.2  The Scrutiny Committee will:

• hold the Cabinet to account for its decisions.

•contribute to strategy development through scrutiny of key policy documents and make comments on these to the Cabinet.

•support policy development through commissioning Member-led investigations of issues affecting the community or borough.

• provide scrutiny of external public bodies and services, including education,

health and other partners as specified by the Localism Act, 2011

• coordinate activities with other local bodies charged with scrutiny functions , for example, Healthwatch, tenant scrutiny, Brent’s Safe r Neighbourhood Board and the regional Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee.

• review and monitor performance to ensure continuous improvement.

• receive call-in of Cabinet decisions, public petitions and community calls to action.

3.3       The Council has a number of statutory responsibilities with regard to scrutiny of local bodies which will be built into the work programme of the committee during the year, particularly concerning health and police services.

Appendix A sets out the terms of reference for the Scrutiny Committee, these are set out in the constitution of the council. 

3.4       The Committee will be able to establish time limited task and finish groups which will focus on particular topics or issues of local concern. Through these time-limited reviews of local issues and services, scrutiny activities will not be limited to the members of the Committee. Rather all non-cabinet M embers can and should participate. These scrutiny reviews will also create opportunities for a broad range of organisations, stakeholders and the public in Brent to get involved in the work of scrutiny. 

3.5       The Scrutiny Committee may undertake external scrutiny of other organisations that provide local services such as education. The council has a statutory power to scrutinise local health provision and also crime and disorder functions. This can be achieved by requesting information from other public  agencies or by asking them to attend a meeting of the Committee for questions. M embers can also investigate any issue that is affecting local communities or the borough. External scrutiny is an area in which real value can be added, enabling Members to explore issues of public concern and take the lead on behalf of their community. 

3.6       The Scrutiny Committee will therefore: 

• develop an annual work programme based on genuine public participation and feed back from elected Members on local priorities.

• work closely with other local bodies and groups charged with scrutiny functions

• monitor and challenge performance and the use of resources both internally and externally

• make evidence-based recommendations to improve the work of the Council and other partner organisations

•scrutinise decisions and develop policy both in respect of the Council and external organisations

• scrutinise the Council’s budget, particularly at the pre-decision stage

• deal with call-in and pre-decision scrutiny

•commission in-depth reviews to be carried out by task and finish groups and to be brought back to the Committee for consideration

• produce an annual report on its work showing, in particular, the impact of the work of the Committee in improving outcomes for local people

• bring different agencies together to broker solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

Effective scrutiny

3.7       Scrutiny provides councillors with the opportunity to question Cabinet Members, officers and others in order to gain knowledge around an issue and make effective, evidenced-based recommendations. It also enables Members to capture the views of their constituents to provide community leadership. 

The principles of effective scrutiny are: 

•  being Member-led

The Scrutiny Committee determines its own work programme and decides what evidence to seek. Members take an active role in t he scrutiny process, for example by going on visits, taking part in consultation activities with service users, residents and discussions with local organisations. 

• a consensual approach

Effective scrutiny works towards developing a consensus-based view of the service or issue under consideration, focused on the needs of service users and residents.

• it is evidence based

Scrutiny should take evidence from a wide and balanced range of sources in order to develop a rounded view of the issues under consideration. 

Recommendations made by scrutiny should be firmly supported by the evidence gathered. 

• provide constructive challenge

Good scrutiny should foster a style of constructive challenge with officers and other witnesses, enabling sharing of views in an open and positive manner.

2015-16 Work Programme LINK

2014-15 Key Comments, Recommendations and Actions LINK

Making South Kilburn disappear from the maps (and political consciousness?)

Guest blog by Sonya Bell who describes herself as a local resident with concerns as to how London is becoming one big privatised city.


I have lived in Brent nearly all of my life and have watched all the changes that have come and gone. I became aware of some changes a few years ago when Stonebridge Park (located between Harlesden and Wembley) became Wembley Park and some of Stonebridge has become Neasden and Harlesden. Stonebridge did have a reputation years ago but it seems instead of making it a better place to live, it seems the "powers that be" just decided to call some parts Harlesden, Wembley and Neasden.

I have noticed the same thing now happening in South Kilburn. Since the new flats have been erected, according to google maps Chichester Road in South Kilburn is now known as North Maida Vale:

In addition to this, I received a letter from HS2 about work that is to commence when the new rail line is built and they gave reference to a road called Queens Park Road. I contacted HS2 and asked where this road was, I was informed by a representative for HS2 that Queens Park Road covers the bridge at Queens Park Train Station and extends right the way around South Kilburn on to Cathedral Walk up to Kilburn High Road. I did explain that the road was already called Cathedral Walk, however the woman said that I was incorrect and it is now known as Queens Park Road.

I think South Kilburn is gradually being phased out by the private sellers who want to make extra money from selling property in "Maida Vale" rather than South Kilburn. I do wonder if the people of Maida Vale and Queens Park know that their lovely and prestigious areas are being extended to take in South Kilburn. I am sure that the leaseholders are very happy with this district change but I wonder how this will affect the people in social housing who will not be able to afford to buy a property once it has a Maida Vale or Queens Park price tag on it. I also wonder if the property developers that have purchased large areas of land from Brent council for this "regeneration" work paid at South Kilburn rates or Maida Vale rates.

Greece: You cannot impose economics on such a politicised people

Paul Mason's commentaries from Greece have been invaluable as we try and make sense of this confrontation between neoliberalism and democracy. Follow him on Twitter @paulmasonnews

This is his latest video blog:

Barry Gardiner spices up Labour Deputy Leader campaign

Barry Gardiner has arranged a meeting at Moore Spice, in the Wembley Retail Park, for Brent Labour Party members to hear a short speech from Caroline Flint, a candidate for Deputy Leader. Her speech will be followed by a Q & A session.

The meeting is on Tuesday 7th July at 8pm. 

Flint is MP for Don Valley and is Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Upcoming events at Preston Community Library

From Preston Community Library Campaign

Firstly, a reminder that July's pub quiz is tomorrow night (Monday, 6 July) at 7.30 in The Preston. As usual, we aim to start the quiz promptly at 8. I hope to see lots of you there. Next month's quiz will be on Monday 10 August.

Our new film club opens its doors for the first time on Monday 13 July with a screening of To Kill a Mockingbird at 6.30, preceded by a performance at 4.30 of the novel's trial scene with pupils from local schools. This event is timed to coincide with the publication of Harper Lee's new novel. Please note that only members of the library can be admitted to this film; you can join the library at the door. 

Our next show will be Brent History on Celluloid, at 2pm on Thursday 23 July. Film London's archivist Louise Pankhurst will be presenting a selection of films from the Brent Museum and Archives, offering a glimpse of the borough's rich celluloid history.

The library will continue to open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout July. Our current classes and other activities will continue, and this month we are adding IT classes for adults and Story and Rhyme for children. The Story and Rhyme sessions will be from 11 to 12 on Saturdays for children from 5 to 8 years old, who must be accompanied by an adult. IT for adults will be on Wednesdays at 3 and at 7. Places on these IT classes are limited and booking is essential. Please phone Ray Patel on 07952 425902. Details of all of this are, as ever, on our website; https://brentlibraries.wordpress.com/ .

Our current licence in the Library building expires on July 31, and the future remains uncertain. It now looks very likely that a school will be using the building, possibly for a fairly short period, from September. When that happens, our use of the building will be limited to weekends. I will write to you about this when I know more. In the meantime, if you have any views on the future of the library, please let us know.

Greens welcome the Greek 'NO' to bailout proposals

Greens have welcomed the outcome of the Greek referendum, which has shown around two thirds of voters have said ‘No’ to European Union and International Monetary Fund bailout proposals for more austerity in exchange for rescue loans.

Caroline Lucas MP said:

“The Greek people have made a decision which must now be respected. This referendum has seen EU states do their very best to undermine the democratic will of the Greek people but it’s time to draw a line under the past and move onwards.

“History shows us that countries can escape crippling debt in a just way. In 1953, at London Conference, Greece was among the European nations signing a deal which allowed for the cancellation of German debt, to enable the country to grow again after the destruction of the Second World War. Europe needs to come together to offer the Greeks a deal which allows their country to be rebuilt.”

Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, said:

“This referendum has provided an opportunity for all EU states to reflect on the balance of power between finance markets and democratic governments. We now need to see an urgent conference to address the issue of Greece’s debt with restructuring and debt relief a clear outcome. There also needs to be clear support for rebuilding the economy, especially by investing in sustainable sectors of the economy.”

 Michael Rosen posted this on his Facebook page today:
 
Standby for long grey files of Europe's elder statesmen
their wallets stuffed with the riches of
bad banking, offshore deals and weird deals
we know not of
standing solemnly in front of us
telling us that the Greek people
are mad, irresponsible,
and don't understand money.
Standby for them to tell us that the system
is essentially good and the Greek people
are essentially bad,
standby for them to tell us that their core belief
that money can create money is
wise and wonderful
and that the wicked Greek people
are betraying the law of nature
that whatever is lent must be given back
a hundredfold
and the law of nature that trees produce olives
is as nothing compared to that.