Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with local leaders on the potential role of her Department in determining the membership of local scrutiny committees.

The Department has engaged extensively with Mayors and Mayoral Strategic Authorities on proposals to strengthen local accountability. These discussions have informed the development of proposals for Local Scrutiny Committees, including their powers, functions and membership arrangements

Legislation will set out that Local Scrutiny Committee membership must reflect the political balance of the constituent councils, with at least 60% of members being elected councillors from constituent local authorities.

The appointment of committee members will be determined locally through the Mayoral Strategic Authority’s governance and constitutional arrangements.

The Chair of a Local Scrutiny Committee must either be an independent person appointed through a fair and open process, or a councillor from a different political party to the mayor. This is intended to ensure that Local Scrutiny Committees are able to provide independent and effective challenge.