Councillor Abdul Wahid, Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee, led a meeting where the committee elected Councillor Abdul Mannan as Vice-Chair and appointed scrutiny lead members to sub-committees. The committee also reviewed a report on maternity care and a challenge session on net zero emissions, agreeing on recommendations for both.

Scrutiny Lead Member and Sub-Committee Appointments

The committee appointed lead members to six scrutiny roles, each tied to specific portfolios. The appointments were made after a series of votes, with Councillor Abdul Wahid, Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee, using his casting vote to break ties in several instances.

The appointed scrutiny lead members are:

• Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury, Chair of the Health & Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee
• Councillor Abdul Mannan, Chair of the Children & Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee
• Councillor Ahmodur Khan, Chair of the Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub-Committee
• Councillor Sabina Khan, Scrutiny Lead for Finance and Resources
• Councillor Abdi Mohamed, Scrutiny Lead for Community Safety
• Councillor Nathalie Bienfait, Scrutiny Lead for Environment and Climate Emergency

The committee also nominated three non-executive councillors to the Inner North East London Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (INELJHOSC):

• Councillor Amy Lee (Labour)
• Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury (Aspire)
• Councillor Ahmodur Khan (Aspire)

Maternity Care and Support for New Mothers in Tower Hamlets

The committee reviewed a report on maternity care and support for new mothers in Tower Hamlets, presented by Councillor Bellal Uddin, former Chair of the Health and Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee. The report highlighted health inequalities and disparities faced by Black, Asian, and multi-ethnic women in accessing maternity care. The review, which involved three evidence gathering sessions, aimed to identify challenges related to cultural sensitivity, mental health support, community engagement, and training for healthcare professionals.

The report contained 16 recommendations, including:

• Holding a dedicated summit for Black, Asian and multi-ethnic women to improve maternity care pathways.
• Developing a co-designed communication strategy and campaign utilising Black, Asian and multi-ethnic media.
• Expanding English Speaking for Other Languages (ESOL) programmes alongside culturally appropriate maternity health literacy and post-natal support.
• Improving data sharing between Barts Health NHS Trust Royal London Hospital Maternity Services, Tower Hamlets Primary Care Network, and Tower Hamlets Public Health Service.
• Strengthening the maternity pathway by increasing the number of pregnancies booking with maternity services at the 10 weeks or earlier mark.

The committee agreed to submit the report to the Mayor and Cabinet for an executive response to the recommendations. They also requested an updated report in six months, and that Tenants and Residents Associations (TRA's) and Faith Groups be included in community engagement efforts.

Net Zero Scrutiny Challenge Session

Councillor Nathalie Bienfait, Scrutiny Lead for Environment and Climate Emergency, presented a report on the progress of Tower Hamlets in achieving net zero emissions. The council has a target to reach net zero emissions for internal council emissions by 2025 and borough-wide emissions by 2045.

The report highlighted the work of the sustainability team and identified areas for improvement, including:

• Improving communications about the team's work.
• Streamlining decision-making processes for the carbon offset fund.
• Benchmarking the team's capacity against similar councils and potentially increasing capacity if needed.
• Increasing engagement with businesses and residents.

Councillor Kibria Choudhury asked if resident engagement would include an information campaign or ongoing consultation. Councillor Bienfait responded that it would include both, with academic research from King's College informing the council of the needs of the borough.

Councillor Ahmodur Khan asked how many residents attended the three events mentioned in the report. Councillor Bienfait said she did not know but would find out.

The committee agreed to note the report and its recommendations, and requested an update in six months. They also agreed that paragraph 4.2 should include Tenants and Residents Associations (TRA's) and Faith Groups in regard to community engagement.

Councillor Bienfait was congratulated on her re-election as Scrutiny Lead for Environment and Climate Emergency.

Other Business

Matthew Mannion, Head of Democratic Services, informed members that the Housing Management (Cabinet) Sub-Committee is scheduled for 3 June 2025, and pre-decision questions should be submitted to the chair prior to the meeting.

The committee were informed that a Members Work Programme Development Day would take place, with a provisional date of Saturday 14 June 2025. Daniel Kerr, Strategy and Policy Lead, noted that if this date was not suitable, the session would have to take place middle to late June on a weekday evening, and that further dates would be circulated to members in due course.