Agenda item

To make a decision on the Council's political structures and appointments. (Yellow pages)

a)   Political and Constitutional Structures

The Council was responsible for establishing the political structures and establishing such Committees as it thinks fit to carry out the discharge of functions which were not the responsibility of the executive (Leader and Cabinet).  In consultation with the Leader of the majority Group it was proposed that Council continued the previous Committee and Overview and Scrutiny political structure as adopted under the previous Council.

Planning and Regulatory, Pensions, Standards and Ethics and Audit and Governance Committees

No changes were proposed to the existence of the 5 standing Committees established under the previous Council - Planning and Regulatory, Pensions Committee, Standards and Ethics, Audit and Governance, and Waste Credit Governance. It was proposed that these Committees continued with seats allocated on the basis of political balance. In addition, individual Appointments etc. Panels (dealing with appointments and terms and conditions of Chief Officers and Heads of Service etc.) would continue to be appointed as necessary from time to time, with membership appointed on an ad hoc basis in accordance with political balance and as nominated by respective Group leaders.

Overview and Scrutiny Arrangements

It was vital for the Council operating executive arrangements that it had an effective, constructive and (where necessary) challenging Overview and Scrutiny function. In consultation with the majority Group leader it was recommended that the Overview and Scrutiny political structure continued as under the previous Council.

The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) also included co-opted members from each District Council. The Council approved the outline Scrutiny programme, leaving flexibility for the OSPB to be able to deal with appropriate matters arising during of the course of a year.  The Chairman of the OSPB would continue to report annually to Council on Scrutiny matters.

The Council had allocated the OSPB as the nominated body to deal with crime and disorder scrutiny matters, and the Environment and Economy Panel dealt with the scrutiny of flood risk management, both as required under legislation.

 Constitutional Procedures

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services might need to settle any outstanding details and update the Constitution to incorporate the decisions of Council from time to time.

Political Balance

Legislation required that allocation of seats on ordinary committees must, as far as reasonably practicable, be in accordance with the principles of political balance.  These principles were based on the membership of political Groups within the Council which members join, rather than political parties as such.  These principles were that the majority Group is entitled to a majority on each committee; subject to this, the aggregate allocation of committee seats overall should reflected political balance, and subject to this, individual committee membership should reflect political balance as far as practicable.  Council could depart from these principles in allocating seats provided no member votes against doing so.  A proposed allocation of seats on Committees was set out in Appendix 1 reflecting the political composition of the new Council, and which would be compliant with the principles of political balance as far as practicable.

 Appointments

Once Council had agreed its political structures and allocation of seats on Committees, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services would fill those seats as usual in accordance with the nominations of the respective political Groups from time to time (via their Group leaders) in compliance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

RESOLVED: that

a)    the continuance of the political structures established under the previous Council and set out in the Constitution updated in April 2017 (summarised in the report) be confirmed;

b)    the size of its ordinary committees and proposed allocation of seats between the political Groups on those committees and on Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority be agreed as set out in Appendix 1 (Final version attached to these Minutes);

c)    the individual members be appointed to those committees in accordance with the nominations from time to time of the respective political Groups in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be required to give effect to such wishes expressed by the political Groups;  and

d)    the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to settle any outstanding details relating to the political structures and to make changes as necessary to the Council's Constitution (Articles and Appendices) to give effect to the Council's decisions and any other revisions necessary to reflect needs or circumstances.

b)  Constitutional and Other Appointments

The Council needed to appoint Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of member bodies, and lead Scrutiny members, to fill certain positions within the structures decided above.

The Council was represented on a number of other bodies and external organisations. Following the elections the Council's representation on these organisations was being revised. Some appointments needed to be made promptly e.g. due to timescales for meetings of external bodies.

For a significant number of those bodies there was either a requirement, or the Council had chosen, to allocate places to reflect the political balance of the Council. Nominations either had been or would be sought from Group Leaders for political nominations to these bodies, which included:

·         Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority

·         Local Government Association and associated bodies

·         SACRE

·         West Midlands Employers – Regional Employers Organisation.

A formal meeting of the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) was scheduled for 22 June 2017, with an induction session taking place on 12 June 2017. In the light of this, nominations to the FRA would have been provisionally agreed in conjunction with respective Group Leaders (in accordance with the breakdown of the 19 places matching the political balance of the Council) and forwarded to the FRA.  This was subject to ratification by Council of the allocation of places.

In the ensuing debate, the Leader updated Council on finalising Appendix 2. It was proposed that Ms P A Hill be Vice-Chairman of the Standards and Ethics Committee.

RESOLVED: that

a)    the Constitutional Appointments be made as set out in Appendix 2 (Final version attached to these Minutes) ; and

b)    the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to finalise appointments to outside bodies in consultation with Group Leaders as set out in the report.

(c) Council Meeting Dates 2018

County Council meeting dates were currently scheduled up to November 2017. To enable the 2018 meetings programme to be produced and help members plan their commitments, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services suggested that further meetings of the Council be now scheduled for 2018.  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 programme of meetings for 2018 be approved as follows:

18 January 2018

15 February 2018

17 May 2018

19 July 2018

13 September 2018

8 November 2018