Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everybody to the December meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and thanked Tonia Bowden and Simon Turner of Primrose High School for allowing the meeting to be held at the school and helping with the arrangements.  Primrose High School, as part of the Central Leeds Learning Federation, had been selected as the venue due to its good work with migrant children and their families, which was the focus of today’s meeting.

Members of the Committee and Officers introduced themselves.  Councillor Chapman was welcomed to the meeting.  It was explained that Councillor Chapman would be taking the place of Councillor Golton on the Committee at future meetings and was attending today’s meeting as an observer only until her appointment as Chair of Scrutiny Board (Health and Social Care) had been approved by Council.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes)

The Chair indicated that in accordance with her powers under Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, she had agreed to accept as a late item of urgent business the report on ‘Responding to the Needs of Migrants and their Families’, which had not been ready at the time of agenda despatch in order to supply Members with the most up to date information available.

To declare any personal/prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct

No declarations of Members’ interests were made.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Anderson and W Hyde.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th November 2007.

(i)  Minutes – 9^th October 2007 (Minute No 51 refers) - (i) Leeds Strategic Plan 2008-2011 (Minute No 42 refers)

The Committee agreed to amend this minute again, so that the penultimate bullet point referred to the role of Members not only as ‘Community Champions’ and ‘Leaders of Change’ but also that the Strategic Plan should make specific reference to the leadership role of Members in planning matters and the design and quality of the built environment.

(ii)  Minutes – 9^th October 2007 (Minute No 51 refers) - (iv) Group Offices (Minute No 40 refers)

Members were advised that when the information relating to the operating costs of the Group Offices was available, it would be circulated to Members.

(iii)  Minutes – Executive Board, 17^th October 2007 - The Mansion, Roundhay Park

Members were advised that this issue was in the process of being scrutinised by the Scrutiny Board (Culture and Leisure).

RESOLVED – That subject to (i) above, the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th November 2007 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive, for information purposed only, the attached minutes of the Executive Board meeting held on 14^th November 2007.

Minutes 107 – Tinshill Recreation Ground

In response to a query by Members, officers confirmed that there had been no call-in request on this issue and that the matter would therefore be considered by Scrutiny Board (City Development).

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Executive Board meeting held on 14^th November 2007 be received and noted.

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report attaching the terms of reference for the Inquiry into ‘Responding to the Needs of Migrants and their Families’.  The report also explained that a number of interested parties had been invited to this first session of the Inquiry to contribute to the discussion on this topic by way of an ‘open forum’.  The Committee would also be pleased to hear from any other contributors.

Various people addressed the Committee including Liz Talmadge, Head of the Primrose Federation, Primrose High School, Tonia Bowden, Headteacher, Primrose High School, Julian Gorton, Headteacher, Shakespeare Primary School, Jan Spencer, Inner East Primary Schools and Alison Mander, Assistant Head Teacher, Carr Manor High School.

The Committee was particularly pleased to hear the experiences ofa sixth form student from City of Leeds High School.

Liz Talmadge talked to a paper she had prepared which highlighted a number of issues and particular challenges that schools were facing.

A full debate took place between contributors from the floor and the Committee, the substance of which would be fed into future meetings of the Inquiry and be included in the final report. 

Various further information was requested of officers and contributors, some of which was statistical data, which would help to inform future sessions of the Inquiry.

The Chair thanked everyone for their contributions.

To receive and consider a report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods.

(Report to follow)

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods submitted a report providing Members with information and data for today’s first session of the Inquiry into ‘Responding to the Needs of Migrants and their Families’.  The report focused on:

·  Contextual information about new migration in the UK

·  An overview of the data and intelligence available to the Council and its partners on new migrants in Leeds

·  An overview of the current position in Leeds

·  A summary of current work to develop an improved understanding of the situation and respond to emerging needs

·  An outline of issues to consider when assessing local impacts of migration

Sue Wynne, Head of Policy and Planning, and Martyn Stenton, Partnerships Manager, both from Environment and Neighbourhoods, attended the meeting to present the report and respond to Members’ queries and comments.  Ken Morton, Locality Enabler (East), Children’s Services and Tom Wiltshire, Manager - Housing Needs, were also in attendance.

Various additional pieces of information were requested from officers to feed into the Inquiry.

The Chair thanked officers for their report and for attending the meeting.

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a copy of the Committee’s work programme, updated to reflect decisions taken at previous meetings, together with a relevant extract from the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1^st December 2007 to 31^st March 2008.

With regard to the ALMO Working Group, it was reported that when the information requested had been received, that another meeting of the Group would be held.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the Work Programme be noted.

(b)  That the Forward Plan of Key Decisions be received and noted.

Tuesday, 8^th January 2008

Tuesday, 5^th February 2008

Tuesday, 11^th March 2008

Tuesday, 8^th April 2008

All at 10.00 a.m. (Pre-Meetings at 9.30 a.m.)

Tuesday 8^th January 2008

Tuesday 5^th February 2008

Tuesday 11^th March 2008

Tuesday 8^th April 2008

All at 10.00 am (pre-meetings at 9.30 am)