The Isle of Anglesey County Council has moved a step nearer to strengthening its scrutiny of service performance.
Members of the full Council this week voted in favour of creating a new committee structure.
The decision, and associated changes to the Council’s Constitution, must now be approved by the Assembly’s Local Government Minister, Carl Sargeant AM.
The proposed changes come after the Welsh Assembly Government recently recommended that there should be a fundamental restructuring of overview and scrutiny provision within the Authority.
The new structure will mean more regular meetings and comprises of the five following scrutiny committees:
- Corporate Scrutiny Committee (with ‘call-in’ powers)
- Housing and Social Services Scrutiny Committee,
- Education and Leisure Scrutiny Committee,
- Environment and Technical Services Scrutiny Committee
- Economic Development, Tourism and Property Scrutiny Committee
County Council Leader, Councillor Clive McGregor, welcomed the proposed new scrutiny structure.
He added, “I believe that the full Council’s decision will provide a greater focus on scrutiny provision within the Authority.”
“These proposals will now be put to the Minister and I would expect to see him backing our new committee structure as a vital means of ensuring the best possible service provision for Anglesey ratepayers.”
If the restructuring is approved by the Minister, the power to call-in Executive Committee decisions will be exercised by the new Corporate Scrutiny Committee.
Leader of the Opposition and Labour Group, Cllr John Chorlton, said, “I’m pleased that there is agreement among group leaders that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee will be chaired by an opposition member. This will allow both effective and constructive scrutiny of Executive decisions.”
He added, “I also hope to see the new committee structure promoting inclusion by providing both opposition and backbench members with a greater voice on this Authority.”
Both the Recovery Board – set up by the Minister following a critical corporate governance report on the County Council – and Welsh Local Government Association have recently been developing scrutiny provision with both members and officers.
