Agenda item

To consider the joint report of the Chief Executive, the Director of Legal Services and Democratic Services and the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication presented the joint report which sought Council’s agreement for the creation of a Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee, as part of the Governance arrangements relating to the Southeast Wales Corporate Joint Committee (the CJC).

The Service Director advised that the process of ‘lifting and shifting’ the functions of the current CCRCD into the corporate joint committee, due to its synergies which exist in respect of its remit for Economic Development is currently underway working towards fully functioning status next year in line with the requirements of the Local Government Wales & Elections Act.

The Service Director advised that thereport proposes that the current Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee provides the Scrutiny arrangements for the CJC, under a separate term of reference, as this current arrangement would best satisfy the Welsh Government’s intention, as set out in the statutory guidance. He also pointed out that as the report proposes, each local authority would each appoint one substantive member.

The Service Director stated that this would be a lift and shift of the current CCRCD scrutiny arrangements into the new CJC and the regulations require that the 10 constituent Local Authorities would need to formally appoint the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee as the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the CJC

The Service Director confirmed that the JOSC met on 27th July 2023 and have indicated their agreement in principle to the proposal and as such a letter from the Chair of the JOSC to the Interim Monitoring Officer of the CJC dated 27^th July 2023 is attached to the report at Appendix 1. Council was advised that included in the appendices are the draft terms of reference and the Service Director proposed that Council may wish to consider that opportunity is afforded to the new CJC JOSC to review the proposed terms of reference and that any amendments are reported to the constituent local authorities.

In conclusion, the Service Director confirmed that following a request by a number of Members for further information regarding the formation of CJC’s, he confirmed that Members would be given the opportunity to be appraised by the Chief Executive in the future of the CJC of its priorities.

The Vice Chair of the CCRCD JOSC, Councillor D R Bevan spoke of the opportunity they were provided to pre-scrutinise and support the proposals in the summer and he concurred with the proposal for the new CJC JOSC to have opportunity to review its terms of reference

It was RESOLVED:

1.          To appoint the JOSC as the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the CJC;

2.          To approve the Draft Terms of Reference for its functions in respect of the CJC, as  attached at Appendix 2;

3.          Note the appointment of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, as the host authority, for the JOSC.

4.          Note that the cost of administering the JOSC for the CJC will be dealt with by a service level agreement between RCTCBC and the CJC, to be concluded in due course.

5.          That opportunity is afforded to the CJC JOSC to review the proposed terms of reference and that any amendments are reported to the constituent local authorities.