INDEPENDENT scrutiny committees introduced to monitor decisions taken by Bolton's Labour Council are not performing their function, according to opposition councillors.

The four scrutiny committees were regarded as a good idea by all political parties when they were introduced 12 months ago to keep an eye on decisions made by executive members.

But opposition councillors fear the committees, which include 20 members made up of the same cross-party ratio as the membership of full council, have not been working independently and will not do so until the ruling Labour group stops appointing the chairmen and vice-chairmen of each committee.

Conservative Cllr Alan Rushton has argued that as many select committees at the Government include posts held by opposition members, the scrutiny committees for local councils should be just as independent.

Liberal Democrat Cllr David Wilkinson said: "There is a concern that work is being delegated to senior officers instead of committees, and decisions are being passed before anybody knows what has been discussed. "The scrutiny committees don't seem to have any bite and although we can verbally challenge an executive member, there is no in-depth investigation and a decision has not been overturned because of anything said by a scrutiny committee."

The council's controlling Labour group introduced a cabinet, which is now known as the executive, of 10 leading councillors in May of last year as part of a new system which swept away the traditional idea of committees overseeing individual council services.