The Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Southwark Council met on Wednesday 22 May 2024 to discuss arrangements for the upcoming municipal year. The primary focus was on agreeing the structure and remits of scrutiny commissions for 2024-25.

Scrutiny Arrangements for 2024-25

The committee was scheduled to consider the scrutiny arrangements for the 2024-25 municipal year. This included noting the proposed size and composition of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) itself, which was to be agreed by the Annual Council Assembly. The report indicated that the OSC would have 11 places, with 9 for the Labour group and 2 for the Liberal Democrats.

A key part of the discussion was expected to be the appointment of scrutiny commissions, along with their titles, sizes, and remits. The committee was also to determine which scrutiny body would be responsible for matters relating to crime and disorder, and health. In the previous municipal year, 2023-24, four such commissions were established: the Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission, the Environment Scrutiny Commission, the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Commission, and the Housing, Community Safety, and Community Engagement Scrutiny Commission.

The report also outlined the allocation of seats on these commissions based on their size, ensuring a proportionate representation for the political groups. For instance, a commission with seven seats would typically have five Labour members and two Liberal Democrat members. The report also detailed the co-opted member places that were available in the previous year, which included representatives for education matters, environmental issues, and housing matters. The housing scrutiny commission, in particular, had nominated places for representatives from the Tenants Forum, Homeowners Forum, and Southwark Tenant Management Organisations Committee, as recommended by Cabinet in February 2020 as part of the Southwark Resident Participation Framework¹.

Finally, the committee was scheduled to appoint chairs and vice-chairs for these newly established scrutiny commissions.