[Paul Ansell]

In common with most O&S annual reports, our annual report is published in the new municipal year, by which time some of the scrutiny chairs may have changed, and some of the previous year's chairs may no longer even be councillors.

Because of this, I have adopted the practice of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board chair's foreword being under the name of the new year's chair. Similarly the chair's mug shot at the start of each committee's section is also that of the new chair. I am conscious that this is not entirely logical because it is the former chair's work that is being reported on. On the other hand, having the new chair reinforces the spirit of continuity and resistance of O&S to political ups and downs.

What do others do? Old chair or new?

[Tracey Tiff]

Hi Paul

Should there be a new Chair, which was the case in May 2011, the new Chair presents the annual report to Council but clearly refers to it as the work of the previous O&S Committee. With the elections last year, there were 12 new members on the Committee from May 2011.

This worked well and the Chair, who was newly elected, had a briefing on the issues that the Committee had undertaken over the past year and provided a precis to full Council.

Tracy

Scrutiny Officer
Northampton Borough Council
email ttiff@northampton.gov.uk

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Hi Paul

The foreword, however, was written by the previous Chair as the Committee approved its annual report at its last meeting of the municipal year 2010/2011.

Tracy