Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The non-executive Members of the Council have a very important role to play.  They not only act as community advocates, bringing into Hart the ideas and needs of the community to help the Council develop policy, they are also required to scrutinise the decisions made by the executive Members.  Hart has created the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for this role.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee was a concept that was introduced under the local Government Act 2000 and since June 2002, all Councils have been required to create arrangements to fulfil this function.  Hart District Council has one overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee that covers the whole remit of the Council services.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a vital role to play in Hart District Council.  In brief it ensures that the Cabinet is publicly held to account and seeks to promote transparent decision making. It acts as a critical friend.  The Committee also has a role in scrutinising other external organisations.

The main responsibilities of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are to:

• review and/or scrutinise decisions made or actions taken in connection with the discharge of any of the Council's functions.
• make reports and/or recommendations to the full Council and/or the Executive and/or any policy, joint or area Committee in connection with the discharge of any functions.
• consider any matter affecting the area or its inhabitants; and
• exercise the right to call-in for reconsideration, decisions made but not yet implemented by the Executive and/or any policy or area Committees.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is made up of 11 non-executive Members appointed to reflect the overall political make up of the Council.  The Committee is Member led and adopts an innovative approach to Scrutiny e.g. by encouraging parish councillors to attend meetings and contribute.  The Committee can co-opt additional non-voting members who could be experts or members of the public etc, on a permanent or ad-hoc basis, for example, to help with a particular review.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is open to the public and is a more informal body than other Committees of the Council.  Public participation is actively encouraged at the Committee and a public speaking scheme is in operation, where the public can raise specific issues related to items on the agenda.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has the power to request Officers and Cabinet Members to appear before them.  Officers are expected to respond openly to questions from the Committee.  In addition to answering questions they should also provide information they feel would be useful to Members.

The Committee sets its own annual work programme and reports on its activities at the end of a municipal year.

The Committee is supported by a Committee Officer; approximately 65% of his/her time is dedicated to Scrutiny.  The Committee Officer, as well as supporting the Committee in the normal way, manages the work programme of the Committee, conducts research to assist the Committee with a review, assists Members to decide on terms of reference for a review and arranges the attendance of officers and experts at meetings.

Call In

If Overview and Scrutiny Members believe that, for example, a decision made by Cabinet is contrary to the policy of the Council, they can fulfil their duty to hold the Cabinet to account by 'Calling In' the decision.  Any five Non-Executive Councillors can Call In a Cabinet decision within five days of the record of that decision being published.  The decision is then effectively 'frozen' until the Scrutiny Committee or Full Council has considered it further.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee may then refer the decision back to the decision taken for reconsideration in light of the Committee's recommendations. The relevant Cabinet Member and Officer are required to attend the Ovrview and Scrutiny Committee to account for the decision that has been made.

Whilst the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has no decision-making powers (it can only recommend to Cabinet and/or Council), it is a powerful and influential forum to call the decision-makers of Hart to account.  Overview and Scrutiny is about Councils working together with the community to improve services.

Please refer to the Overview and Scrutiny Handbook for further information under Council Meetings/Useful Links/ Overview and Scrutiny Committee.