The Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Safer Ealing Partnership Annual Report for 2025-26, discussed proposed scrutiny arrangements for the upcoming year, and considered a review of how a petition regarding humanitarian support for Gaza was handled. The committee agreed to the proposed scrutiny arrangements for 2025-26 and determined that the petition concerning Gaza had been handled properly in line with the council's constitution.

Safer Ealing Partnership Annual Report 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Safer Ealing Partnership Annual Report for 2025-26, which details the work undertaken by various agencies to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough. Representatives from the Metropolitan Police Service, London Fire Brigade, and Ealing Council presented their contributions to the partnership.

Superintendent Sean Lynch of the Metropolitan Police Service addressed concerns about the increase in sexual offences, explaining that this was partly due to greater awareness and reporting, and highlighted efforts to improve safety for women, including officer training and the use of facial recognition technology. He also defended the use of stop and search, stating it is a vital tool for tackling serious crime and that officers are trained to conduct these stops respectfully. Superintendent Lynch also noted that Ealing experiences cross-border crime and that hotspot policing campaigns have been successful in apprehending offenders.

Commander Ben Moore of the London Fire Brigade discussed new fire safety measures for tall buildings, the risks associated with e-bikes, and the enforcement of fire safety in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). He also outlined the challenges posed by climate change, such as flash flooding and wildfires, and the brigade's work with the Environment Agency and the council's Parks team to mitigate these risks.

Ealing Council officers provided an update on Parkguard patrols, confirming they are deployed based on demand, and discussed the implications of reduced funding for the Prevent programme. The committee noted the challenge of maintaining standards with less funding.

The committee resolved to note the Safer Ealing Partnership Report 2025-26.

Scrutiny in Ealing in 2025-26

Sam Bailey, Head of Democratic Services, presented the proposed approach to scrutiny for the upcoming year. The structure of scrutiny panels will remain aligned with strategic directorates, but the panels will be renamed to reflect these directorates, moving away from numerical designations. This change is intended to assist political groups with nominations.

The committee discussed proposals to enhance the culture of scrutiny, including additional training for scrutiny members and chairs, and greater involvement of Cabinet Members in pre-agenda and agenda-setting meetings. While the principle of increased scrutiny of Cabinet Members was supported, members felt that the extent of Cabinet Member involvement in agenda setting should be at the discretion of the Committee Chair. The report also suggested incorporating more site visits and informal briefing sessions to complement formal meetings.

The committee resolved to agree to the proposed approach to scrutiny in Ealing for 2025-26.

Review of Petition: Humanitarian Support for Gaza

Sam Bailey presented a report on the review of a petition submitted to the council requesting humanitarian support for Gaza, similar to the support provided for Ukraine. The petition organiser had requested that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee review the council's handling of their petition.

The committee was informed that the review's scope was limited to examining the process followed by the council in handling the petition, rather than the substance or outcome of the council's response. It was confirmed that all steps outlined in the council's constitution had been adhered to, including the petition being debated at Full Council.

The committee resolved that the petition was handled properly, in line with the provisions set out in the constitution.