The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Newham Council met on Tuesday 18 November 2025 to review the council's emergency preparedness and corporate resilience, and to examine council tax collection rates. The meeting also included a review of the committee's work programme and updates from scrutiny commission chairs.

Emergency Preparedness and Corporate Resilience

The committee was scheduled to review Newham Council's approach to emergency preparedness and corporate resilience. This included an examination of the council's arrangements for emergency planning, business continuity, and Prepare and Protect initiatives, which focus on counter-terrorism preparedness. The report highlighted key achievements from the previous year, such as the renewal of the Business Continuity Policy and the introduction of a Community Safety Silver Senior Duty role. Future plans included improved councillor engagement, the development of an exercise programme, and the strengthening of community-centred recovery initiatives. The report also detailed the council's participation in national and regional resilience structures, including the London Resilience Partnership and the Borough Resilience Forum. Specific risks identified included influenza-type diseases, cyber security threats, and surface water flooding. The committee was also to be updated on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change impacts, and cyber security incidents affecting other local authorities and organisations. Plans for mass casualty preparedness, including the operation of rest centres and humanitarian assistance, were also to be discussed, alongside lessons learned from the Manchester Arena attack.

Review of Council Tax Collection Rates

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on council tax collection rates. The report indicated an increase in collection rates compared to previous years, attributed to timely collection and recovery actions, including pre-emptive communication with taxpayers and a more robust approach to issuing summonses and referrals to internal Enforcement Agents. The report noted the establishment of a monthly outreach service at East Ham Library to assist residents in creating affordable repayment plans. Data presented showed collection rates for the current financial year exceeding those of the previous year, with significant increases in income remitted by the internal enforcement service. The report also provided a breakdown of council tax collection by ward and by Council Tax Reduction (CTR) status, and compared Newham's collection rates to those of other London boroughs and neighbouring councils. Challenges identified included increased call volumes due to enforcement activity and the wider economic climate, which could impact future collection rates.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider its Work Programme for the upcoming period. This included reviewing the draft programme and confirming items for future meetings. The report emphasised the importance of a well-defined work programme to ensure the scrutiny function focuses on delivering valuable and relevant work for the authority. Items already scheduled for the December meeting included reports on Transformation, the implementation of scrutiny recommendations, the Non-Statutory Best Value Notice, and the Phase 2 report on the Relationship Between Black Boys and the Borough.

Scrutiny Chairs' Updates

Oral updates were expected from the Chairs of the London Borough of Newham's Scrutiny Commissions. Councillor Susan Masters, Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care (HASC) Scrutiny Commission, was due to report on upcoming agenda items including the Barnsley Street Community Mental Health Pilot and a review of Care Close to Home. Councillor Lakmini Shah, Chair of the Education, Children and Young People (ECYP) Scrutiny Commission, was to provide an update on the Newham Children's Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report and post-16 progression. Updates were also anticipated from the Crime, Environment and Transport (CET) Scrutiny Commission and the Housing and Regeneration (HRegen) Scrutiny Commission, with the latter focusing on temporary accommodation.