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East Ayrshire Council has established a single committee of 11 members that carries out the Governance and Scrutiny role.

The Governance and Scrutiny membership reflects the political balance of the full Council.  Members of the committee cannot be on the Cabinet.  The Council appoints the chair of the Governance and Scrutiny Committee from one of the opposition parties on the Council.

The committee plays a central part in the work of the Council - taking evidence from witnesses, scrutinising decisions and conducting reviews.  It has timetabled meetings throughout the calendar year with scheduled meetings on a Friday every four weeks and can hold special meetings as required.  The committee develops its work programme with a workshop at the start of each year to choose topics. Throughout the year, it monitors progress on the work programme and adds or defers items as necessary.

The nature of the committee’s work will result in the holding, as required, of less formal sessions during its meetings to provide the opportunity for members, officers, third party representatives and stakeholders to engage effectively in governance and scrutiny business.  The Chair will determine the appropriateness of such informal sessions as part of the agenda planning process.

Agenda planning

Before each meeting, the Chair will meet with officers to discuss the draft agenda and work programme.

Venues

Committee meetings normally take place in council headquarters but other venues may be used that suit the nature of the topic under review or the type of meeting.  This may include the committee visiting premises throughout the area as considered appropriate.

Committee papers/support

Committee papers will be sent out to all those attending the meeting and a guidance leaflet for witnesses will be provided.  The Governance and Scrutiny support team is available to provide any guidance if required.

A large part of the committee's work involves taking evidence and gathering views. The committee can take evidence by email or letter, or they can invite witnesses to give their evidence in person. The committee can also use video-conferencing to take evidence from witnesses in remote locations.

To increase the effectiveness of meetings, the committee will carefully limit the number of witnesses selected to give oral evidence. It will take great care to ensure a balanced representation and include all those with a major interest.

Members of the public can attend all committee meetings, except those which are held in private, which only elected members and officers can attend.

You can find out which committees are due to meet by contacting us via the details below or by viewing the meetings calendar on our website.  Agendas for the committee, meeting start times and venue details are also all published on the website.

Contact Information

Democratic Services Admin
Council Headquarters
London Road
Kilmarnock
East Ayrshire
KA3 7BU