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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which bodies will be (a) voting and (b) non-voting members of Local Scrutiny Committees, and how will the committee members be appointed.

The appointment of committee members will be determined locally through the Mayoral Strategic Authority’s governance and constitutional 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. These members will have voting rights on the Committee.

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.

Local Scrutiny Committees will also be able to appoint co-opted members and independent experts where additional expertise would support scrutiny. Regulations made under the Act will set out the detailed arrangements for committee membership, including the appointment of co-opted members and independent experts, voting rights and other governance requirements. This will ensure that Local Scrutiny Committees are able to access the skills and expertise to undertake effective scrutiny.