Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors ⁠Elin Walker Jones, Geraint Parry and Dyfrig Siencyn; Colette Owen (Catholic Church) and Gweno Glyn Williams (Dwyfor Parents / Governors' Representative).

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Sharon Roberts (Arfon Parents/Governors' Representative) declared a personal interest in Item 6 on the agenda. The member was of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest, and she withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration.

None to note.

For Committee Members to scrutinise performance matters within the Department.

DECISION

•           To accept the report and note the observations.

•           To ask to include the following in the next performance report that will be brought before the Committee:

•           more detailed data had been categorised in relation to long-term debts and tax collection.

•           number of legal cases relating to long-term debts.

•           information about the department's recruitment arrangements.

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report which provided the Committee with an update on what had been achieved in the field, including an update on the Council Plan and the Department's day-to-day work up to the end of March 2026. It was explained that the Information Technology Service had been transferred to the management of the Corporate Services Department since 1 April 2026, but as the 2025/26 performance was being considered, the digital services had been included in the report. It was noted that the transition had been smooth, but that the recruitment of an Assistant Head for the Information Technology Service remained a challenge.

It was reported that all matters under the responsibility of the Cabinet Member had been discussed and scrutinised at Performance Challenge and Support meetings, and satisfaction was expressed with the Department's overall performance. It was noted that the Finance Department had taken the lead on two priorities in the Council Plan during 2025/26, namely Managing the Impact of National Budgetary Cuts and the Digital Plan. It was emphasised that the need to achieve financial savings across the Council remained a priority to achieve budgetary balance in the medium term and to seek to keep any increase in Council Tax within reasonable limits. It was noted that the work of the Finance Department in the field was robust and effective, but ensuring that savings were successfully realised in all services remained a challenge.

It was noted that the performance measures showed a robust performance overall, with a few areas still receiving attention. Reference was made to high levels of compliance with mandatory training, along with the robust performance of the Finance and Accountancy, Payroll and Pensions services. It was noted that the level of long-term debt managed by the Income Service remained a matter of concern and that this was the only red category measure in the Department. It was noted that there were signs of improvement and that plans were in place to reduce risk and improve debt recovery. It was reported that the rate of Council Tax collection had improved, although it remained below historical levels. It was noted that there was an intention to introduce additional digital support to support the service.

In terms of Information Technology, it was noted that significant improvements had been made to strengthen the digital provision, including the modernisation of devices, the upgrading of systems, the expansion of digital ways of working and the rationalisation of the infrastructure. It was explained that the work had contributed to achieving financial savings. It was noted that cyber incidents and service outages had highlighted the need to continue to strengthen the resilience and security of the infrastructure, and it was noted that these issues were regularly monitored through the Performance Challenge and Support arrangements.

Attention was drawn to two reports received from external auditors during the year. It was noted that the report by Audit Wales on Strategic Management of Balances and Reserves had been published in September 2025,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider the contents of the Report and to make comments, ask any relevant questions, propose any amendments, and approve the Report.

DECISION

•           To approve the report.

•           To ask for an update from the Cabinet Member for Education on the implementation per recommendation in approximately six months.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Investigation presented the report and thanked all those who took part in the investigation. It was explained that this was not a specific case investigation or a statutory investigation, and that its purpose was not to reconsider matters that had already been examined through the Child Practice Review. It was noted that the question posed to the Panel was whether the safeguarding arrangements in the county's schools were appropriate and consistent, with the Panel being responsible for gathering evidence, drawing conclusions and making recommendations to the Cabinet and, in some cases, to the Welsh Government.

It was stressed that the reopening of the Foden case was not within the remit of the investigation, as the Child Practice Review had already considered the case. It was explained that the intention of the investigation was to look ahead and consider what else could be done to strengthen safeguarding arrangements in schools. It was noted that the scrutiny investigation was one of the work streams in the Council's Response Plan following the Child Practice Review, and that the Response Board, the Child Practice Review and the Scrutiny Investigation had different but complementary functions. It was explained that the Child Practice Review had looked back to understand what had gone wrong and the lessons to be learnt, that the Response Board was leading and overseeing the implementation of the corporate response, and that the Scrutiny Investigation had provided an additional layer of independent challenge by focusing on the arrangements in place in schools today and considering how to strengthen them further.

It was reported that a wide range of evidence had been considered over a period of several months. 11 schools were visited and discussions had been held with headteachers, governors, staff and pupils, as well as taking evidence from officers and experts and considering national guidance, policies and Estyn's work. It was noted that the investigation had found a lot of good work taking place in Gwynedd's schools, but it was emphasised that having good policies on paper was not enough in itself and that it needed to be ensured that they were implemented consistently in all schools, by all members of staff and at all levels.

It was elaborated that the 22 recommendations formed the basis of a work programme rather than a list of individual proposals. It was noted that some of the recommendations related to people, ensuring that staff, governors and those with safeguarding responsibilities received the necessary training, support and clarity; that others related to systems, including strengthening arrangements for recording, monitoring, sharing information and ensuring greater consistency between schools; and that others were culture-focused, ensuring that pupils knew who to turn to for help, that their voice was heard and that everyone understood that safeguarding was the responsibility of each individual. It was noted that the recommendations had been grouped under nine strategic themes, namely training, pupils' understanding, support and well-being, the voice of pupils, review and learning, systems and information sharing, parents,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive an update on the work and consider its impact.

DECISION

•           To accept the report and note the observations.

•           To ask the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community to discuss car parking fees and the impact of changing enforcement hours in car parks on the local economy with the relevant Cabinet Members and departments.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Community presented the report noting that the challenges facing town centres were evident, including changes in shopping habits, the growth of on-line shopping and cost of living pressures. It was explained that the challenge was to re-purpose town centres and make them attractive places to live, work and spend time. It was noted that discussions had begun with the new Welsh Government regarding the field.

It was elaborated that the report buildt on information previously submitted to the Committee and focused on the activities of the Regeneration Programme Service, including town centre regeneration, the development and implementation of regeneration projects and the response to empty properties. Reference was made to the framework for the towns of Gwynedd and the Place Making Schemes developed for Bangor, Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Bala and Dolgellau. It was noted that these schemes had been prepared since the report was submitted to the Committee in 2023.

The report included information on the development and implementation of regeneration projects and the main grant programmes. It was noted that grants worth £31.8 million had been secured between 2023-26 for the development and implementation of town centre regeneration projects across the county. Reference was made to the projects to be implemented through the Pride in Place Impact Fund and the Local Growth Fund, as well as the work on empty properties in town centres.

It was elaborated that work was being carried out to develop performance measures and collect data to be able to measure the impact of the regeneration work on town centres. Reference was made to the Council's new Economic Strategy and the need to assess the impact of projects as well as monitor the number and condition of vacant properties. It was explained that the final part of the report summarised the main conclusions and lessons learnt, along with further issues to consider over the following months.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:

Clarification was sought regarding the definition of vacant properties. Reference was made to examples in Pwllheli where a shop continued to operate on the ground floor of a building but the top floor was empty, noting that the situation could lead to significant Council Tax Premium costs and put additional pressure on the viability of the ground floor business.

In response, it was clarified that there was no single simple definition of empty properties across the Council, as a number of services and departments related to empty properties and operated under different legislations and regulations. It was noted that the relevant definitions and periods may therefore vary between services. In relation to town centre regeneration work, it was explained that the Service tended to focus on properties that had been empty for more than a year, prioritising substantial buildings in central locations where their condition was deteriorating and impacting the area.

It was noted that there was a marked difference between the performance of different streets and town centres, with some thriving while others found  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To present the Committee's draft work programme for 2026/27 for adoption.

DECISION

•           To adopt the work programme for 2026/27.

The Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee's draft work programme for 2026/27 was submitted for adoption.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:

Reference was made to the length of the discussion on the Finance Performance Report earlier in the meeting, noting that a large number of questions had been raised. The view was expressed that it might be more appropriate, where possible, for performance reports to be placed towards the end of meetings rather than at the beginning. It was noted that members tended to be particularly active in raising questions at the beginning of a meeting, and that changing the order of items could assist in better management of the Committee's time.

In response, it was noted that the order of the performance reports varied between meetings, and that the reports had already been placed towards the end of some meetings. It was confirmed that the order of items could be changed in the future if the Committee wished performance reports to be considered towards the end of the meeting.

It was questioned whether the current arrangements for performance scrutiny had been reviewed since their introduction, noting that the reports created a considerable workload for members and took up a significant proportion of meeting time. It was questioned whether any assessment had been carried out to see whether the scheme was more or less effective than the previous arrangements. In response, it was noted that comments had been submitted through the Scrutiny Forum and that discussions were taking place regarding the format of the reports. It was noted that too much information could sometimes affect the effectiveness of scrutiny, and that members' comments about previous arrangements were taken into account. It was explained that this did not necessarily mean that there would be a significant change, but that the arrangements would be reviewed.

It was questioned whether the number of scrutiny meetings during the year could be increased in order to increase the Committee's capacity to carry out its responsibilities. In response, it was explained that this depended on the resources available, along with the need to conduct scrutiny investigations and task and finish groups. It was noted that the matter was one that could be considered further.

Concern was expressed that the performance reports were reducing the time available to scrutinise other items, as well as creating a very significant amount of reading  for members. The view was expressed that consideration should be given to reverting to the previous procedure where scrutiny members attended Performance Challenge meetings, but with a more formal procedure to report back to the Committee. It was noted that there had been benefits to the previous procedure, although some Performance Challenge meetings had been cancelled due to lack of availability of officers. It was noted that the current arrangement was more transparent as the scrutiny took place in a public meeting, but that the time burden was significant.

Objection was expressed to imposing an overly strict time limit on discussions. It was emphasised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.