THE ink was barely dry on Spectator's Notes last Friday when Coun David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council was on the phone to explain exactly what the "Post Executive Overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee" was all about.

Coun Walsh admitted the title was somewhat long-winded but defended its role. It was, he said, an extremely important committee reviewing the work of the cabinet and the advice given to the cabinet by the other six scrutiny committees. It was the only scrutiny committee with the power to "call-in" a cabinet decision

He added the council had not embraced the latest shake-up with great joy and had deliberately created a structure which involved as many members as possible. So much for central government's stated intention of cutting down on meetings, then.

But let no-one say Redcar and Cleveland council doesn't listen to and heed gentle criticism. On Monday a council spokesman called to announce that the "Post Executive" bit of the committee's title had been dropped.

What Spectator now wants to know is who took that decision and which scrutiny committee will review it? And will the Overarching Overview and Scrutiny Committee call the decision in?

A clear target?

MANAGEMENT speak is a wonderful language. It runs ideas up the flagpole to see who salutes them and pushes envelopes as far as they'll go, but Dr John Bridge, chairman of the regional development agency OneNortheast, gave farmers at a rural recovery seminar a new phrase last week.

A greater realisation had emerged of the importance of the rural economy to the North-East as a whole, he said, and the good news was that "it was now on the radar screen".

Mr David Maughan, working but culled-out tenant farmer, chairman of the NFU livestock committee for Durham and Northumberland and, when he spoke, about to step down after three years as president of the Durham county federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, was quick to follow Dr Bridge's metaphor.

"Dr Bridge referred to us now being on the radar screen," he said. "We might be on the screen, but there is an Exocet missile heading for us."

White shade of...

THE North York Moors national park committee has asked that chimney stacks in connection with the new gas supply to Cleveland Potash should be painted a "seagull-type grey".

That rather makes Spectator wonder how much the park members know about the habits of seagulls. Given the nearness of Cleveland Potash to the sea, it won't be long before those same grey gulls adorn the chimney with seagull-type white.