Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dawood and Westley. The City Mayor also submitted his apologies.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

Councillor Govind declared that in respect of the Scrutiny Report into the review of the Bus Services Act 2017, he worked for a bus company.

The Chair paid tribute to Councillor Mo Chohan who had passed away very suddenly, and also Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who along with four others had lost their lives in the helicopter crash at King Power Stadium.  The Chair said that there was deep regret that Leicester had lost such great ambassadors.

At the request of the Chair, Members, all present observed a one-minute silence as a mark of respect.

The minutes of the meeting of the Overview Select Committee held on 13 September 2018 have been circulated and the Committee will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

Members were asked to agree that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview Select Committee held 13 September 2018, were a correct record.

At the request of Cllr Grant, an amendment was agreed to minute item 29: Questions for the City Mayor – CAGE, to insert the words ‘quite rightly’ to the first sentence of the text as follows:

Councillor Grant said that concerns had been raised with him, that while the council had ‘quite rightly’ expressed strong views about far-right extremism in the city, the council had not apparently expressed similar concerns about an organisation called CAGE.

AGREED:

that the minutes of the meeting of the Overview Select Committee held 13 September 2018, subject to the above amendment, be confirmed as a correct record.

No updates were given on actions previously agreed.

The Monitoring Officer to report on any questions, representations or statements of case received.   

The Monitoring Officer reported that there were no questions, representations or statements of case.

The Monitoring Officer to report on any petitions received.

The Monitoring Officer reported that no petitions had been received.

The Monitoring Officer submits a report that updates Members on the monitoring of outstanding petitions. The Committee is asked to note the current outstanding petitions and agree to remove those petitions marked ‘Petitions Process Complete’ from the report.

AGREED:

that the current position be noted and petitions referenced 29/06/2018, 19/07/2018, 27/07/2018 and 22/05/2018 marked petitions process complete, be removed from the monitoring report.

The Committee will receive an overall update on the anti-terror Prevent programme. The presentation will be delivered in partnership by the Police, the Head of Community Safety and the Prevent Co-ordinator for the city. Members are invited to note and comment on the presentation as they see fit.

Daxa Pancholi, the Head of Community Safety and Protection, Sean Abruthnot, Prevent Co-ordinator and Police Inspector William Knopp were present to deliver a power-point presentation on Prevent.

The Head of Community Safety and Protection introduced the presentation, a copy of which is attached to the back of the minutes and stated that Leicester was a multicultural city with a long-standing reputation for community cohesion; from time to time however there were people who posed a threat to the community.

Members considered the presentation and comments and queries raised included the following:

·      In response to a question about referrals from schools, Members heard that schools submitted the largest numbers of referrals, possibly because teachers heard conversations and comments which concerned them.

·      The Home Office provided funding for a Prevent Education officer who worked with local schools; Members heard that schools had a duty in respect of Prevent.  

·      In response to a question about training on Prevent for Councillors, the meeting heard that Prevent training was held as part of the Member Development Programme and a further session could be arranged if required. The Member suggested that it would be most appropriate to hold this in the new municipal year.

·      Councillor Grant referred to a question about CAGE that he had raised at the previous meeting of the Overview Select Committee. Councillor Grant asked how an organisation such as CAGE, which was not prescribed fitted in with the Prevent Programme.

Inspector Knopp replied that CAGE was an extremist group and as such if the group was meeting in the city, they would look to see that the venue was appropriately sighted on the risks associated with that group. The Prevent partnership would look to see if it was appropriately chaired and ideally that a counter narrative would be offered.

Members heard that CAGE had held a meeting in a private venue in July and the group that hosted them had allowed Prevent to attend. At that event, representatives from Prevent had been permitted to challenge some of the views expressed. Inspector Knopp added that when groups such as CAGE visited, it was important that there was a robust response from partners and that an alternative view put forward to what was an exaggerated grievance narrative.

·      A Member asked about the number of radical groups existing in Leicester and Inspector Knopp responded that they were seeing an increase in the number of far right and extreme right-wing groups. Some of the groups appeared on the surface to be acceptable, but had anti-migrant and anti-Islam views

·      A Member asked about the role the Youth Commissioner had in the Prevent Programme and the Prevent Co-ordinator said that as he was relatively new to Leicester, he had not yet had the opportunity to work with the Youth Commissioner but was keen to do so. The Head of Community Safety and Protection added that the Young People’s Council were very interested and engaged in this agenda.

·      In relation to the emergence of far-right groups, a Member asked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

The City Mayor will answer questions raised by members of the Overview Select Committee on issues not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

No questions were raised for the City Mayor, or for Councillor Myers, Assistant City Mayor for Entrepreneurial Councils’ Agenda.

A Member commented that he would like all the Assistant City Mayors to attend meetings of the Overview Select Committee. The Chair responded that this was a suggestion that should be discussed with the Executive.

The Chair of the Overview Select Committee submits the Draft Scrutiny Report for 2016-2018. Members are asked to comment on, and approve the draft report prior to its submission to Full Council.

Councillor Singh, Chair of the Overview Select Committee presented the Draft Scrutiny Report 2016-2018 and said that this had also been sent to the previous Chairs of the different Commissions to seek their views.  The Scrutiny Report would be submitted to Full Council on Thursday 15 November 2018.

The Chair invited comments and questions. Comments from Members, included the following:

·      Councillor Cutkelvin, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Commission stated that the Commission had been pleased that the Local Authority had kept the sports services ‘in house’ rather than contracting them out to other providers.  Councillor Cutkelvin added that the Leisure Centres were a very important part of the city’s health economy and health and wellbeing going forward.

·      Councillor Cleaver, Chair of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission welcomed the references in the report to the Commission’s in depth look at communication relating to autism. She expressed concerns that there were people with little knowledge of autism and suggested that everyone needed to try for a better understanding of the condition. It may be that someone was not mis-behaving in a public place, but just had different communication skills. Councillor Cleaver thanked everyone who had contributed towards this work on autism.

The Chair thanked all the Scrutiny Chairs and Members for their work in the Commissions over the previous two years and stated that Members would have a further chance to comment on the report at Full Council.

AGREED:

that the Draft Scrutiny Report 2016-2018 and Members’ comments be noted and forwarded to the meeting of Full Council on 15 November 2018.

Councillor Cutkelvin left the meeting at this point and did not return.

a)    To receive and endorse the following Scoping Document:-

The Community Asset Transfer Strategy    A review of the Neighbourhood Services and Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission (Appendix D);

b)    To receive and endorse the following reports of reviews carried out by Scrutiny Commissions:-

A review of the Bus Services Act 2017 – the impacts and opportunities. A report of the Economic Development Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission.  (Appendix D1)

End of Life Care. A review report of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission (Appendix D2)

Scoping Document: Community Asset Transfer Strategy

Members were asked to receive and endorse the scoping document for the Community Asset Transfer Strategy; a review of the Neighbourhood Services and Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission.  The scoping document was presented by Councillor Gugnani, Chair of the Scrutiny Commission.

AGREED:

that the Overview Select Committee endorse the Community Asset Transfer Review Scoping Document.

Members were asked to receive and endorse the following reports of reviews carried out by Scrutiny Commissions:

Review of the Bus Services Act 2017 – the impacts and opportunities. A report of the Economic Development, Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission.

Councillor Khote, Chair of the Economic Development, Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission presented the review and said that positive progress had been made by the Council and bus companies, including extra bus lanes and the Haymarket Bus Station. There were still challenges however to increase bus use, make if more affordable and attractive and to improve the customer experience.

The Chair commented that he looked forward to the time when the City Mayor had more powers relating to bus services in Leicester.

It was noted that there were issues with the technology which didn’t always work with the different bus companies. Councillor Khote explained that there were five different bus companies in Leicester and they were working towards a multi ticketing system.  The Assistant City Mayor for Entrepreneurial Councils’ Agenda commented that an integrated bus system worked very well in London, but he said that it appeared that this sort of common sense approach did not apply elsewhere.

AGREED:

that the Review of the Bus Services Act 2017 by the Economic Development and Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission be endorsed and forwarded to the Executive.

End of Life Care – A review report of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission          

The review report was presented by Councillor Cleaver, Chair of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission. Councillor Cleaver commented that people were often fearful to talk about death but those early conversations were important. Councillor Cleaver commended the Adult Social Care service saying that they did a very good job in providing quality end of life care.

AGREED:

that the Review of End of Life Care by the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission be endorsed and forwarded to the Executive.

Members were thanked for their work on the Scrutiny Commission Review reports.

The work programme for the Overview Select Committee is attached.  The Committee is asked to consider this and make comments and/or amendments as it considers necessary.

The Overview Select Committee Work Programme was considered and noted.

Members are asked to consider and comment on the Plan of Key Decisions and in particular note those items pertaining to their own commissions.

The Chair asked Scrutiny Chairs to be mindful of items on the Plan of Key Decisions, that related to their Commissions.

AGREED:

                   that the Plan of Key Decisions be noted.

The meeting closed at 7.03 pm.