Agenda item

The Committee considered how the recruitment and appointment process for a further Independent Member should be pursued.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services introduced the report and commented that the Committee was constitutionally required to have 3 non-voting independent members serving on it. There was currently a vacant Independent Member position. The law was silent as to how members should be co-opted onto the Committee and he was therefore seeking this Committee's views on the matter. He had drawn up a draft job description for members' comments. It would be beneficial to have a pool of volunteers to recruit from and therefore he suggested that either adverts be placed in local newspapers (which could be costly) or a press release be issued which would allow the local newspapers to run a story.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         District Councils should be contacted to see if they had any parties who might be interested in serving as Independent Members

·         The vacancy should be drawn to the attention of all councillors to see if they were aware of anybody who might want to serve as an Independent Member

·         Other external bodies without a political allegiance could be contacted for example Rotary Clubs, masonic lodges. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised that the Council did not have access to a list of these types of organisation

·         What was the time-frame for filling the vacancy?  The Head of Legal and Democratic Services stated that there was no formal deadline for the appointment process

·         It would not be easy to attract people to the post given the limited number of Committee meetings that were held and it was important not to raise applicant's expectations of the role

·         It was suggested that Independent Members should reside or work in the county and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services agreed to amend the job description accordingly

·         In response to a query, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services stated that the appointment process was a matter for the Committee to determine. It could delegate responsibility for the procedural arrangements to himself and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and the Committee would then formally co-opt

·         The Head of Legal and Democratic Services should be requested to follow a simplified process for seeking an independent member for co-option by the Committee    

·         Concern was expressed that the Independent Member job description included a requirement that an applicant must not be an active member of any political party. It was queried whether the definition of an active member should be more specific and instead refer to a paid up member. It was likely that the public would perceive membership of a political party as not representing an independent stance and this was a key argument for the inclusion of this requirement. In response, it was argued that this requirement was unnecessary because there was no suggestion that being an active or paid up member would mean bias and an inability to act independently. Following a vote, it was agreed that the Independent Member must not be a paid up member of any political party.

RESOLVED that:

a)    the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be requested to follow a simplified process for seeking an independent member for co-option by the Committee;

b)    The Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to contact district council colleagues, create a press release and make Group Leaders aware of the vacant position.

c)    the job description for the independent member be agreed subject to an amendment that applicants must not be a paid-up member of any political party (as set out in the Appendix to the Minutes);

d)    the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to finalise the detailed arrangements for the appointment of the independent member by the Committee.