Manchester City Council (see our beginner’s guide) has 96 councillors. 94 of them are Labour. There is 1 Liberal Democrat (John Leech, Didsbury East) and 1 Green (Robert Nunney, Woodhouse Park).
There’s a 8 member “Executive”. There are six scrutiny committees that are supposed to make sure promises are being kept, problems with implementation of policy are spotted. But this would involve members of the same party holding the Executive to account. And if you are an ambitious councillor then you quickly figure out – or are gently/forcibly reminded – that vigorous/repeated scrutiny means… annoying those with considerable control over your future. So, councillors start to “phone it in from Milton Keynes” – our pet term for scrutiny that only looks like scrutiny.
This is bad enough in normal times. These are not normal times. The climate emergency (the same one 96 councillors declared all the way back in July 2019) requires honesty, transparency and keeping a very close eye on what is and is not being delivered around climate change. That’s why Climate Emergency Manchester spent almost all of last year on a petition to get a seventh scrutiny committee, devoted to looking not just at the City Council’s actions, but also the city’s. Because the city has burned through a quarter of its carbon budget for the 21st century in the last two years, and nobody in power is taking any responsibility for that, or doing anything beyond the usual….
| Communities and Equalities | Tuesday at 10am Agenda Video |
| Community Safety Partnership Update PDF 345 KB Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) This report provides an update on the work of the Community Safety Partnership with particular focus on serious and organised crime, including gun crime and knife crime. | |
| Overview Report PDF 329 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report alsoincludes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree. |
| Resources and Governance | Tuesday at 2pm Agenda Video link |
| Re-establishment of the Human Resources Sub Group PDF 217 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit attached This report seeks the Committee’s approval to re-establish the Human Resources Subgroup for the 2021/22 Municipal Year and agree its terms of reference. | |
| Re-establishment of the Ethical Procurement and Contract Management Sub Group PDF 242 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit attached This report seeks the Committee’s approval to re-establish the Ethical Procurement and Contract Management Subgroup for the 2021/22 Municipal Year and agree its terms of reference. | |
| Overview Report PDF 315 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit attached This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report also includes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree. |
And next up, Health. Fun fact- despite the enormous health implications of climate change, the MCC Health Scrutiny Committee has never looked at climate, despite being asked to. Yeah, it’s an emergency, sure.
| Health | Wednesday at 10am Agenda Watch video via here. |
| COVID-19 Update PDF 108 KB Report of the Director of Public Health, Manchester City Council and the Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning The Director of Public Health (DPH) will deliver a presentation on the latest available data relating to Manchester with a particular focus on the plans to respond to Variants of Concern (VOCs) including the B.1.617.2 (Indian) variant. A key element of the prevention response to VOCs will be the ongoing and accelerated roll out of the Manchester Vaccination Programme. The Medical Director, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning will therefore provide the Committee with an overview of the current Spring Action Plan and a look ahead at how the programme will continue throughout the summer and autumn. | |
| Overview Report PDF 141 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit This report includes a summary of key decisions that are within the Committee’s remit as well as an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report also includes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend or agree as appropriate. The report also contains additional information including details of those organisations that have been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) within Manchester since the Health Scrutiny Committee last met. |
And next up, Children and Young People. Fun fact-despite the enormous interest of young people in climate change, and the implications it has for them, the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee has never looked at climate. Yeah, it’s an emergency, sure.
| Children and Young People | Wednesday at 2pm. Agenda Video link |
| Manchester Safeguarding Partnership (MSP) Annual Report 2019/2020 PDF 233 KB Report of Independent Person Dr Henri Giller This report details the strategic priorities and what MSP has achieved, reports on its annual assurance activity and what has been learnt from practice reviews undertaken where there was a serious incident. Additional documents: Appendix – MSP Annual Report 2019-20 Executive Summary , item 5. PDF 647 KB | |
| Impact of COVID-19 on children’s services in Manchester, including schools, settings and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service PDF 448 KB Report of the Deputy Director of Children’s Services This report details the impact and consequence management of COVID-19 across the Children’s and Education Directorate, with a particular focus on the delivery arrangements and performance of children’s services. | |
| Children and Education Services – Overview and Key Issues This will be an oral report.Children and Education Services – Overview and Key Issues This will be an oral report. | |
| Overview Report PDF 514 KB Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report alsoincludes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree. | |
And so on to
| Environment and Climate Change | Thursday at 10am Agenda Video link |
| Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25: latest progress and priorities 2021/22+ PDF 471 KB Report of Mike Wilton, Chair, Manchester Climate Change Partnership and Jonny Sadler, Deputy Director, Manchester Climate Change Agency This report provides an overview of progress against the Manchester Climate Change Framework 2020-25 and priorities for 2021/22+. Additional documents: Mcr Climate Change Annual Report 2020_Single Pages , item 4. PDF 2 MB | |
| Overview Report PDF 150 KB The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information. | |
And next up, Economy. Fun fact- asides a November 2019 report on “Green Jobs” (which were, of course, never properly defined) , the economic implications of climate do not get a run.
| Economy | Thursday at 2pm. Agenda Video |
| Economy COVID19 Sit Rep Report PDF 722 KB Report of the Director of City Centre Growth and Infrastructure attached This report provides Committee Members with a further update summary of the current situation in the city in relation to COVID 19 and an update on the work progressing in Manchester in relation to areas within the remit of this Committee. | |
| Economy Dashboard 2019/20 – Introduction to new Members PDF 187 KB Report of the Head of Performance, Research and Intelligence attached This report provides Members with the most up to date metrics on key aspects of the City’s economic recovery. | |
We know (all too well) how depressing and alienating local “democracy” can be, and that it doesn’t HAVE to be this way. But we also know there is a climate emergency going on, and that we have to use our freedom of assembly, speech and information as best we can.
Climate Emergency Manchester is constantly looking for new people to get involved in “Team SF,” which does monthly scrutiny of the council (and much more).
If you’re interested in getting involved, please get in touch – contact@climateemergencymanchester.net
