Decision

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025

 

RESOLUTIONS
 
The following are the
resolutions made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the
above meeting.
 
Please note that these are not
the full minutes, which will be published at a later
date.
 
Date
of resolutions: 21 May 2025
 
If you have any queries about
any matters referred to in this notice, please contact: Artemis
Kassi, Head of Scrutiny and Governance (artemis.kassi@newham.gov.uk).
 
 
Item
6: Call In of Officer Key Decision: Juniper Ventures
 

i) 
That the Officer Key Decision on 15
April 2025 concerning Juniper Ventures be referred back to Cabinet
for reconsideration.

 
ii) 
That the reasons for the referral to
Cabinet be noted, as follows:
 

1. 
Business
plans
The
Committee recommended that all business plans and budgets of all
subsidiaries be approved by Cabinet before the main budget-setting
Full Council. Business plans to include income, expenditure,
cash-flow and balance sheets;

2. 
Documentation
The
Committee recommended that all papers provided for scrutiny call in
meetings be authorised by the relevant corporate director and,
where appropriate, the Monitoring Officer;
3. 
Planning for future
risk
The
Committee recommended that appropriate consideration be given to
accounting for any potential future risk in the Council’s
accounts;
4. 
School meals
funding

(A) 
The Committee recommended that the
Council write to the Mayor of London, London Councils and the
Department of Education that, as part of the grant conditions and
stipulations of Free School Meals, contractors pay the London
Living Wage to their employees;

(B) 
The Committee also recommended that the
Council write to the Mayor of London, London Councils and the
Department of Education to ensure that funding for school meals be
calculated on a full cost recovery basis, including the London
Living Wage;
5. 
Officer Key
Decisions
The
Committee considered that this decision should not have been dealt
with as an Officer Key Decision, given its sensitivity. The
Committee therefore recommended that a review of Newham
Council’s governing document to review the threshold and
remit of officer key decisions be included in the work of the
Constitutional Review Working Group;
6. 
Commercial and Financial
Review
The
Committee recommended that appropriate commercial and financial
review of Juniper Ventures and all locally owned Council companies
be undertaken to ensure that financial viability and best value
considerations and all internal and external risks are
managed;
7. 
Partnership
opportunities
The
Committee recommended that opportunities for going into partnership
with neighbouring boroughs as a shareholder be explored;
and
8. 
Accountability and
Transparency
The
Committee recommended referral of the Officer Key Decision back to
Cabinet, in the interests of public accountability and
transparency.