To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 3 September 2020.

Councillor Muldowney referred to the recent Clinical Commissioning Group update on the 2019/20 Financial assistance provided to Cambridge and Peterborough STP and stated that this was unacceptable that Thurrock would not be getting this money returned and requested that a recommendation be added to this item for Councillor Ralph as Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Overview Scrutiny Committee or jointly with the Portfolio Holder for Health to reply to this update to seek further clarifications. Councillor Holloway stated that this was outrageous and that reassurances were required. Councillor Ralph agreed that this was totally wrong and would write a letter on behalf of all HOSC Members. Mark Tebbs stated that further discussions would take place with Maria Wheeler and suggested that further updates be provided at the next meeting when the right people would be available to answer Member’s concerns but Members agreed that updates were required before the next meeting in January.

Councillor Holloway raised her concerns on the absence of any appointment to Vice Chair and questioned what Councillor Ralph was doing to address this and whether Councillor Ralph had been invited to any meetings that he had been unable to attend that the Vice Chair may have been able to attend. Councillor Ralph stated the position of appointing Vice Chair was important and that no Labour nominations had been made at Council and questioned whether the Labour Leader had offered this position to his Members. Councillor Holloway stated that it was not just Labour Members who sat on this committee who could be nominated for this vacant post and again raised her concerns that the committee should have a Vice Chair as this provided a layer of security and would cover any absences of the chair. Councillor Holloway questioned Councillor Ralph whether he had spoken to the Leader of the Council about this vacant post. Councillor Ralph stated he had approached other Members and to which Councillor Massey stated he felt he did not have the experience yet and was not the right person at this time to fill that vacant post.

Councillor Holloway referred to paragraph 3 of the work programme minutes “Councillors Holloway, Muldowney and Massey requested a detailed Fees and Charges Report for November committee” had been inaccurately captured and this was not what had been requested. Members had asked for a line by line budget option providing the options that had been given to the portfolio holder, taking into account that the Council had to make £20 million of savings next year which was a very large amount of money that would not have had any scrutiny. Councillor Holloway stated it was unacceptable that there would be no financial scrutiny being undertaken at this scrutiny committee. Councillor Holloway referred to Councillor Ralph’s response in the minute which had also been inaccurately captured. Councillor Ralph had said “if appropriate” and questioned whether Councillor Ralph had thought this was now appropriate and why he had not pushed for a detailed financial report for this evening’s committee. Councillor Ralph stated it was based on what was asked for and referred to a later report in the agenda that would provide that financial update.

Following those amendments of the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the 3 September 2020 were approved.