Agenda item

To consider a report on (Yellow Pages):

(a)  Council meeting dates;

(b)  Political balance;

(c)  Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of member bodies; and

(d)  Attendance at Meetings of the Authority.

(a) Council meeting dates 2021

County Council meeting dates were currently scheduled up to November 2020. To enable the 2021 meetings programme to be produced, the Assistant Director Legal and Governance suggested that further meetings of the Council were now scheduled for 2021. In accordance with the usual practice and pattern of meetings, further meetings (Cabinet, Committees and Panels) would be arranged in the light of the Council dates and members notified in due course.

RESOLVED that the Council meeting dates for 2021 be approved as follows:

14 January

18 February

20 May

15 July

9 September

11 November

(b)  Political Balance

Council in January 2020 agreed revised political balance following the Bromsgrove South by-election and the resignation from the Conservative Group of Mr R Bennett.  Mr Bennett had subsequently re-joined the Conservative Group.It was therefore proposed that the Conservative Group gained a place on the Planning and Regulatory Committee (which increased in size by 1) and on the Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel (which also increased in size by 1).

RESOLVED that the recalculation of political balance as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved and the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance be required to give effect to it in accordance with the nominations from the respective Group leaders from time to time.

(c) Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Member Bodies

The Council needed to make the appointments to various chairmanships and vice-chairmanships of member bodies and of Lead Scrutiny Members. The nominations

for a number of appointments were set out in the Appendix to the report.

The Chairman of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel thanked Mrs J A Potter for her support as the Vice-Chairman to the Panel.

RESOLVED that the constitutional appointments as set out in Appendix 2 to the report be confirmed.

(d)  Attendance at meetings of the Authority

During the current Coronavirus situation, Council meetings were being held using remote technology in accordance with Regulations made under section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020.  Although the Council had held a number of meetings recently, some were cancelled in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak.  This and the potential for a member to be unable to connect to a meeting and a risk of not being able to attend meant that the opportunity for attendance might be reduced as a result.

The provision in law for a member to be removed from office automatically through non-attendance at meetings for a period of 6 consecutive months was still in place.  The Council could approve reasons for non-attendance in advance to prevent automatic disqualification from office.  It was therefore suggested that Council approved for all Councillors these reasons for non-attendance (cancellation of meetings and inability to join a remote meeting) and the situation was reviewed in January 2021.

RESOLVED that under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, the reasons for the failure of any member of Worcestershire County Council to attend meetings of the authority be formally approved, and that the matter be reviewed in January 2021.