Policy overview, scrutiny and select committees

This essential part of the council's democratic arrangements allows councillors (who are not in the Cabinet) to formulate policy proposals and scrutinise local matters.

Hillingdon's Policy Overview, Scrutiny and Select Committees have a vital responsibility in monitoring council and other public services in the Borough, influencing policy and engaging residents and local organisations in this important work. Over the years, Committees have undertaken successful in-depth reviews of local services and issues. This has resulted in a number of positive changes locally, with some also affecting policy at a national level. Such committees engage Councillors (not in the Cabinet) in a wide range of council activity and make recommendations to the decision-making Cabinet.

Policy Overview, Scrutiny and Select Committee reviews undertaken since 2003/04 »

Policy Overview Committees

Three policy overview committees have the role of monitoring and reviewing council services and influencing policy on these to the Cabinet. Further information on the remit of each of these committees can be found below:

• Corporate Services, Commerce and Communities
• Residents, Education and Environmental Services
• Social Care, Housing and Public Health

The Social Care, Housing and Public Health Policy Overview Committee also oversees the Council's corporate parenting role, integrating oversight of this important responsibility directly into the council's core governance arrangements. It has the ability to establish a Corporate Parenting Panel with a wide variety of membership both within and outside the council, to assist it in discharging this role.

Chairmen of these Committees may establish a Task and Finish Review Panel to undertake a focused review within a particular committee's remit, or a cross-cutting review that covers the remit of more than one committee.

Scrutiny and Select Committees

Two important Committees undertake in-depth scrutiny of local public services:

• Executive Scrutiny Committee is responsible for scrutinising the internal decisions taken by the Council itself, those of the Cabinet, individual Cabinet Members and officers. 
• External Services Select Committee is responsible for scrutinising the external decisions, namely the work of the NHS, Police and other public agencies, with a statutory responsibility to hold them to account on behalf of residents. This Committee may establish a Task and Finish Select Panel to undertake more focused scrutiny activity.

Attending committee meetings

Policy Overview, Scrutiny and Select Committees engage with a wide range of witnesses in the work they do in reviewing and scrutinising local services. They undertake their own consultations, surveys, call-in experts, hold site visits, informal networking events and, most importantly, hear directly from residents, parents, children and other groups across the Borough. 

Meetings are open to the public. Formal rules for the conduct of Overview and Scrutiny committee meetings are set out in the council's constitution.