Using Scrutiny to Engage with Partners

Following yesterday's post, I thought I would cover some ideas about using the Scrutiny system to engage with professional partners of the Council.  In principle, this could be a powerful tool.  My understanding of the thinking is that the Council has the power to demand explanations of how any public money in Brent is being spent.  This would mean sums of money well beyond the Council's own budget.

I would suggest the first thing the Council needs to do is establish the extent of its powers.  In some cases they may be curtailed by other legislation, but once a sound legal basis is established here are some questions.

Can scrutiny powers be used to scrutinise academies and other schools that are now effectively totally divorced from Council control.  The lack of accountability of these schools is a widespread concern.  This could cover all sorts of things from educational standards to proper use of public money.  Some sort of scrutiny is sorely needed, as we have seen from various scandals around misuse of monies as well as the concerns recently put forward by Christine Gilbert around the falling educational standards in Brent.

How can the scrutiny powers be used to examine the use of public health money and wider health spending?  Have past difficulties with the NHS simply made this too difficult, or could the powers influce health policies in beneficial ways?

Can scrutiny powers improve the performance of TfL and train operators in the Borough.  Living near Willesden Junction, I am acutely aware of the environmental failures of Network Rail, but a more obvious role might be to take over the function of the current Public Transport Liasion Committee.  This remains currently an Executive function, but it seemed ineffective under its previous Chair.  Perhaps Scrutiny could do than a structure that was first invented twenty years ago before Scrutiny existed.

Does Scrutiny have any powers that would be relevant in terms of fighting crime in Brent?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but they are certainly worth asking.  If the Council really is back pedalling from the minimalist approach, these are the kind of areas that might be considered.