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The Committee considered a draft Multi-Location Meetings Policy, which sets out how meetings can be attended in person or remotely, and supported it subject to agreed amendments before it goes to Full Council. It also received reports on decarbonisation and the Social Partnership Duty, and discussed its forward work programme, where the Chair raised concern that no future items were scheduled. The minutes record no formal decisions on those three reports or on the programme.
Councillors on the Scrutiny: Sustainable Merthyr Tydfil committee reviewed three draft documents before they go to Full Council, the meeting of all councillors, for approval. Members asked for wording changes to the Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy and agreed that the word 'Commercialisation' better reflects the purpose of the Commercial Strategy. They also asked for the Corporate Records Management Policy to return to a future meeting so that progress, including performance measures, can be reviewed.
Cancelled
The committee considered the draft Healthy Organisation Strategy 2026 to 2029, the council's plan for managing its workforce. Members asked for wording changes to the strategy, and officers agreed to clarify the survey figures. The meeting also closed some actions on the action log and looked at the forward work programme.
The committee considered the draft Revenue Budget for 2026/27, a change to the Internet Acceptable Use Policy to cover artificial intelligence (AI), and its Forward Work Programme. On the AI policy, members asked for timescales and monitoring to be added, and noted that the policy will be reviewed every three years.
The committee considered the Corporate Self-Assessment Report for 2024/25, which councils must publish each year. The minute records no formal decision on the report or on the forward work programme.
Scrutiny: Sustainable Merthyr Tydfil considered the annual update to the Corporate Asset Management Plan, which reports a maintenance backlog of £43 million and too little staff capacity to manage repairs. Members also considered the refreshed plan, a Disposal Strategy and a revised Community Organisation Rental Policy, but the minutes record no formal decision on them. Members also noted two items added to the forward work programme.
The Committee considered the draft Violence & Aggression Policy, which is due to go to Full Council in October 2025, and the first combined quarter 1 performance, risk and finance report. Members commented on the draft policy and raised questions on the report, which will be referred to Directors. The Committee also agreed which matters to review at its next Quarterly Technical Meeting.
The Sustainable Merthyr Tydfil Scrutiny Committee, which checks the council's work, agreed its forward work programme (the list of topics it plans to examine) on 15 July 2025, adding a report on aggression and violence. It also began discussing a draft Advertising Policy, but the minute records no decision on it.