Agenda item

The Council will be asked to consider the appointment of its committees, in accordance with the Council's Constitution and the Local Government Act 1972.

The Council received the report on the appointment of committees for the 2016/2017 municipal year.  As part of the report, Members considered proposals for a separate Health Scrutiny Committee to focus on the statutory health scrutiny function and to reduce the workload of the Resilient Communities Scrutiny Committee.

With regard to other committees (namely the Audit Committee, Appeals Committee, Planning Committee, Standards Committee, Chief Officers Employment Committee and Licensing) it was recommended for those to be reappointed according to their current powers and duties. 

Members noted that there were no proposals to make changes in relation to the Health and Wellbeing Board, although the Board would be asked to review the future of the Children and Young People’s Partnership as a recent review had highlighted areas of duplication with other similar bodies.

A full schedule of committees was submitted to the Council based upon the political balance calculations and which contained the notified names of committee members, Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship nominees.

Motion:  Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Campbell seconded):

‘1.      To appoint the following Council committees, in line with the political balance calculations and adjustments at Appendix 11(a) to the Council report.  These are:

·           Audit Committee (membership of nine and with a composition of six Labour and three Conservative),

·           Appeals Committee (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative)

·           Planning Committee (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative)

·           Standards Committee (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative)

·           Chief Officers Employment Committee (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative).

2.       To appoint the following scrutiny committees, in line with the political balance calculations and adjustments at Appendix 11(a) to the Council report.  These are:

·           Tourism, Economy and Resources Scrutiny Committee (membership of nine and with a composition of six Labour and three Conservative)

·           Resilient Communities Scrutiny Committee (membership of nine and with a composition of six Labour and three Conservative) with the revised responsibility for functions of this committee to be as set out in Appendix 11(b).  To also appoint two diocesan co-opted representatives and the two governor co-opted representatives.

·           Health Scrutiny Committee (membership of seven with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative) with the responsibility for functions of this committee to be as set out in Appendix 11(b)

·           All three scrutiny committees to be assigned the power to deal with any ‘call-in’ requests initiated in line with Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution.

·           That the Chairman position in all three scrutiny committees be filled by a majority group councillor and the Vice Chairman/Shadow Cabinet Member position be filled by an opposition councillor representative.

3.       To agree that the powers and duties of the Audit, Appeals, Planning, Standards and Chief Officers Employment Committees remain as set out in the Council’s Constitution.

4.       That the Licensing Committee also be re-appointed with the powers and duties as set out in the Constitution (membership of fifteen and a composition of ten Labour and five Conservative).

5.       That the Licensing Committee be requested to re-appoint the Public Protection Sub-Committee, with the powers and duties, as set out in the Constitution (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative).

6.       To note the appointment of members to committees as set out in Appendix 11(c) to the Council report and thereafter any nominations or changes to nominations reported to the Director of Governance and Partnerships by the relevant Group Leader. 

7.       To agree to the appointment of the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen for those committees and the Health and Well Being Board as identified at Appendix 11(c) to the Council report based on the above recommendations.

8.       To confirm the membership of the Health and Wellbeing Board as set out in Appendix 11(c) to the Council report and request that Board to consider the future role of the Children’s Young People Partnership.

9.       To agree that the Director of Governance and Partnerships be authorised to amend the Constitution accordingly.’

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.