At last night’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee, a complaint about the number of items needed to be scrutinised led to a vote calling on Cabinet members to make decisions behind closed doors on non-contentious agenda items.
Cllr Chris Quirk (Con) reported that at a meeting of the Chair’s and Vic-Chairs of the Isle of Wight council’s Policy and Scrutiny Committees they looked at the capacity to scrutinise the “immense agendas of cabinet”.
Quirk: Call for Cabinet member delegated-decisions
Cllr Quirk said,
“The problem is Cabinet is not making any delegated decisions, even though there are a lot of fairly minor decision that are not contentious, but could be taken as Cabinet member delegated-decisions.”
He went on to explain,
“Following the discussion between the Chair and Vice Chair about the number of items featured in Cabinet agenda, which are due to be reviewed at tonight’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee, they are suggesting a draft recommendation when starting agenda item 7, is as follows:
“The Committee wishes to raise its concerns as to the number of items featured on meetings of the Cabinet.
“This appears to be as a result of not implementing a Cabinet member delegated-decision process and is leading to an ineffective use of members’ and officers’ time in dealing with issues that are not controversial or have no major financial implication.
“Cabinet reports are not available to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee until shortly before the meeting, giving insufficient time to understand and effective role of holding the Cabinet to account.
“The Committee therefore requests that the Cabinet reviews its approach to decision-making to ensure this is an effective use of resources whilst still enabling transparency and accountability.”
Minimal discussion or debate
The Chairman, Cllr Steve Hastings (Con), moved straight to a vote, without inviting any discussion.
Cllr John Medland (Ind Alliance) intervened and suggested they have some discussion about the motion and hear the other side. Cllr Michael Lilley (Ind Alliance) added that a question needed to go to Cabinet about the motion before the Committee could make a decision.
Cllr Quirk said it “was a nonsense” that Scrutiny Committee members should have to read the papers for seemingly non-contentious issues, just to find out whether there was something contentious about them.
Cllr Joe Robertson (Con) said it was for Cabinet to respond to the motion,
“Let’s put it forward and hear what Cabinet have to say.”
Lilley: Committee can decide its own agenda
Cllr Lilley stated that the Committee could decide which items it wanted to discuss and could choose not to scrutinise items on the Cabinet agenda they felt were non-contentious.
Cllr Quirk responded,
“The idea that it’s more democratic to have the whole of the Cabinet making a decision is actually fallacious. It works the other way round.
“If you were cynical you could say that’s a deliberate act. I’m not that cynical.”
Cabinet members refused
The Chairman reported that several Cabinet members had requested to speak, but that he was not going to allow it, adding,
“We will have a discussion with Cabinet about it outside of this meeting.”
He moved to the vote, the motion passed five in favour, three against and two abstentions.
Alliance: Great concerns
Following the meeting an Alliance Group spokesperson told News OnTheWight,
“Alliance Cabinet Members were greatly concerned at the brief discussion and decision at the Corporate Scrutiny Committee Meeting whereby the Conservative-controlled Committee asked that Cabinet Members should make delegated decisions in private on some matters.
“The concern was heightened when it was also argued that this approach would be a more democratic way of conducting council business.”
Alliance: This is “not how the Alliance Administration chooses to conduct itself”
The Alliance spokesperson went on to say,
“This was the way the previous Conservative Administration chose to do things, but it is not how the Alliance Administration chooses to conduct itself.
“The previous Administration was heavily criticised for its lack of openness and transparency, especially on Scrutiny, and we find it ironic that they now seek to impose their heavily denounced and unsatisfactory approach on our administration.”
Saving “them the effort of having to read”
The Alliance spokesperson added,
“The main reason as to why the Conservative-led Committee seeks such an approach seems simply to be to save them the effort of having to read, consider and understand the papers, data and information given to them.
“Our concerns are added to by the fact that the Scrutiny Committee sought to push their decision through without even allowing Cabinet members to speak or comment. This also happened in respect of other discussions and decisions that took place during the meeting.”
Alliance: Scrutiny can determine their own agenda
The spokesperson finished by saying,
“It is perfectly open to the Scrutiny Committee to determine their agenda and to decide what they consider. However they should not try and lighten their workload by imposing a mechanism that restricts openness and accountability and by restricting the openness sought by others so as to satisfy their own ends.
“The Alliance approach is driven by what is in the public interest, not by what is more convenient for Councillors. The Alliance believe that our Island deserves better than what has gone before.”
Lilley: Cynical about Conservatives’ reasoning for motion
Following the meeting Cllr Lilley told News OnTheWight,
“Cllr Quirk used the word cynical in regard to the Alliance administration Cabinet not using delegated decisions by individual Cabinet Members.
“I, myself, am cynical about the possible reasoning behind the Conservatives motion last night.”
He added,
“Corporate Scrutiny has powers to call in delegated decisions and this involves often a specific Scrutiny meeting being called which would be in public and with the press there.
“In opposition, I did this on a number of occasions including ironically Ryde Harbour which was on the Cabinet Agenda last night. The Conservative Cabinet member for resources was trying to propose selling Ryde Harbour to a dredging company. I called it in to Corporate Scrutiny and subsequently Ryde Town Council proposed to offer £1 to purchase it and invest in the Harbour’s development.”
Lilley: Alliance has stopped back-door decision-making
Cllr Lilley went on to say,
“The Cabinet Meeting tonight (Thursday) will make the final decision to make this a reality and RTC will takeover the Harbour and surrounding land from 1st April 2022. The Call-in at the time under the Conservative Administration resulted the decision to be referred to Cabinet so the offer from RTC could be considered.
“The Alliance has stopped the back-door decision-making of the previous administration which could have seen dredgers in Ryde Harbour not boats.”
Lilley: Attack through call in procedure instead of scrutinising
Cllr Lilley added,
“By putting important decisions on a Cabinet agenda, Corporate Scrutiny has the opportunity at every meeting to see what the Administration is proposing to do which is more open and transparent.
“I believe that Conservatives calling for re-instatement of delegated powers by Cabinet members and reducing Cabinet agendas just provides them an opportunity not to scrutinise, but use the powers of three Conservatives and a Conservative Chair calling in delegated decisions and have a public meeting to attack the Administration.”
Lilley: A new platform for Conservative leader
Cllr Lilley
“As the proposal by the Conservatives intend to replace Cllr Hastings, the current Chair of Corporate Scrutiny, with their new leader, Cllr Robertson, call-ins on delegated decisions would give him an excellent platform.
“The new way of making decisions through cabinet means Corporate Scrutiny members have to read the Cabinet Papers and use Corporate Scrutiny meeting efficiently.”
Lilley: Cannot return to under-the-radar decisions and grandstanding politics
Cllr Lilley finished by saying,
“Last night, I put forward a motion to ask the Cabinet Member of Adult Social Care and Public Health to reconsider his paper in regard IWC and Hampshire County Council’s relationship in delivering public health services.
“The motion was unanimously voted on and the Cabinet Member responded positively and agreed to take on board Corporate Scrutiny’s views and recommendations.
“To me that is how Corporate Scrutiny should work, as a member I read all the papers and found one that did need challenging. We cannot return to under the radar decisions and grandstanding politics which were a norm of the previous administration.”
Article edit
9am 16th Dec 2021 – Comment from ML added
