Release date: 19.02.08
Ref: BBC/PR/L&D/06/08

Members of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorsed a report which found that the decision to move to a single policy committee has made the Council more efficient and effective, at their last meeting on 14 February.

The Council took the decision to merge its two policy committees in the last financial year (2006/07).

Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor David Stewart said:
“Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee welcomed the findings of the report which illustrated that the move to one policy committee has made a positive impact on the way the Council it does it business.

“The research shows that this change has brought greater business efficiency to the decision making process enabling streamlining and simplification of the issues and enabling Councillors to focus on the inter-dependences.

“A single committee has also led to greater speed, transparency and clarity of decision making; and greater efficiency and economy in terms of cost and member and officer time,” he said.