Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Overview and Scrutiny aims to promote open and transparent decision-making, democratic accountability and to hold the Cabinet to account for its actions.   The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is responsible for ensuring that the overview and scrutiny process is operating effectively and is making a difference for local people.    It is led by elected councillors, who carry out work both in committee and outside of the formal committee process.  Overview and Scrutiny Members are not Members of the Council’s Cabinet and do not make executive decisions, but they set their own agenda and can make recommendations to Cabinet/Cabinet Members/Council for policy development and improvement.   Scrutiny does not just look at the way the Council does things, it can look at anything that affects the lives of people in West Suffolk and allows residents to have a greater say in Council matters.   Each year the Committee produces a Scrutiny Annual Report which sets out an overview of its work.