… here is a brief outline from Wikipedia, together with the relevant laws, that give Overview and Scrutiny Committees great power to scrutinise members and employees of the council and representatives of other organisations and the freedom to discuss “any issue which affects the local area, or the area’s inhabitants, whether or not it is the direct responsibility of the Council’s Cabinet“.
Please do note that Chief Executive Mark Williams cannot bend or break these laws – YOU have the power here, not him.
“Holding decision-makers accountable
“Overview and scrutiny committees are empowered to question elected members who sit on the council’s Cabinet and council employees,[5] and representatives of certain other organisations,[6] and to make recommendations to those people. Committees are able to investigate any issue which affects the local area, or the area’s inhabitants, whether or not it is the direct responsibility of the council’s Cabinet[7]
By law, Overview and Scrutiny must have the right to ‘call-in‘[8] decisions – i.e. ask the decision-maker to think again, or to refer the decision to the full council if it is believed that the decision-maker has taken a decision in contravention of the council’s budget or policy framework.[9] To be called in, decisions usually need to be “key decisions”.[10]”
Notes:
- 4. “2012/13 Annual Survey of Overview and Scrutiny in Local Government” (CfPS, 2013), http://www.cfps.org.uk/publications?item=7334&offset=0
- 5. s9FA(8) and (9), Local Government Act 2000, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/20/schedule/2/part/1/enacted
- 6. s9FF, s9FI, Local Government Act 2000, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/20/schedule/2/part/1/enacted
- 7. s9F(2)(d) and (e), Local Government Act 2000, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/20/schedule/2/part/1/enacted
- 8. s9F(4), Local Government Act 2000
- 8. s9F(4), Local Government Act 2000
- 10. Ones which have a particularly significant financial impact or which affect several council wards, Regulation 8, Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/regulation/8/made
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_and_Scrutiny#Overview_and_Scrutiny_in_England
East Devon Watch 
It would be appreciated if you did not generalise, (Just in case our Overview & Scrutiny don’t understand what they are supposed to do’) & note that there are five Members of O/S Committee who are not Members of the ruling group. Unfortunately, Scrutiny has fallen down when the ruling group has been nominated to the Chair, who has the casting vote. This has been compared to marking one’s own homework by the group I belong to on DCC.
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Yes, Eileen. Much credit is due to the minority of Overview and Scrutiny Committee members who do demonstrate a clear understanding of what scrutiny entails, and what is its purpose. At present, they are overruled by the spineless majority, and the O&S Chair’s conduct is crucial for ensuring that the Committee does or does not do its job correctly.
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