Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that Councillor Alan Hall be elected as Chair and Councillor

Susan Wise be elected as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2014-15.

There were none.

Members observed that there were often long gaps between meetings and

requested that draft minutes be circulated as soon as practicable after

meetings.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on March 14 2013 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Working Party considered two issues raised by the Overview & Scrutiny

Business Panel.

On the issue of the size of the Business Panel, the Chair observed that it had

a notional membership of 11, but as the sole Green Party representative on

the Council had declined an offer of membership, the appointed membership

was actually 10. Amending the Constitution, as shown in the

recommendation, would serve to make legal provision for the currently

prevailing situation.

In terms of the second suggestion that responsibility for the overview and

scrutiny of library services becomes the responsibility of the Safer Stronger

Communities Select Committee, members attached weight to the views of the

Chair of the Healthier Communities Select Committee who wished to

relinquish responsibility owing to workload issues. The Working Party also

noted the valuable discussions that had previously taken place on library

services at the Healthier Communities Select Committee and recognised the

role a vibrant library service could have in promoting the totality of public

health.

In moving the recommendation, the Chair noted that there would be a review

of all Select Committee Terms of Reference in due course and he observed

that the Local Area Agreement themes on which they had been based had

subsequently been abolished.

RESOLVED that the Council be recommended to agree that:-

(a) the number of elected members on the Overview and Scrutiny Business

Panel be amended to be as follows:-

•           The Chair and Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee

•           The Chairs of the Select Committees appointed by the Overview and

Scrutiny Committee; and

•           2, or the smallest number higher of councillors necessary to reflect the

political composition of the Council

(b) the elected membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Education Business

Panel be the same as the Business Panel; and

(c) responsibility for the overview and scrutiny of library services pass to the

Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee.

The report was introduced by the Head of Law and the Working Party

considered each of the recommended changes as follows:

Paragraph 6.2 – scrutiny lead on equalities – the Working Party agreed to

amend this drafting error

Paragraph 6.3 – Children & Families Act 2014 - the Working Party agreed to

transfer responsibility for the scrutiny of Special Educational Needs services

for persons up to the age of 25 years to the Children & Young People Select

Committee.

Paragraph 6.4 – Health & Well Being Board - the Working Party agreed an

update reflecting the creation of the Board.

Paragraph 6.6 – Housing Scrutiny - the Working Party agreed to delete

responsibility from the Sustainable Development Select Committee.

Paragraph 6.9 – Overview & Scrutiny Terms of Reference – In answer to a

query from the Chair, the Head of Law advised that as a general legal

principle the Overview & scrutiny Committee possessed the power to exercise

any of the powers delegated to Select Committees, but that this was not

explicitly expressed in the Constitution. After debate, the Working Party

agreed to ask the Head of Law to formulate an explicit provision in the report

to be considered at Council.

Strategic Planning Committee – the Working Party agreed to strike down the

prescription that Strategic Planning Committee members had to serve on one

of the three ordinary committees. The Chair asked that an Appointments

report in respect of the ordinary Planning Committees be raised at the next

meeting of the Council.

Constitution Working Party – the Working Party debated options for its own

size and concluded that it should remain unchanged at seven.

Paragraph 6.1- the Working Party agreed changes to comply with the

Localism Act 2011 in respect of the Mayor’s qualification as a member of the

Council.

Paragraph 6.5 -the Working Party agreed a slightly modified employee

code of conduct.

Paragraph 6.7 - the Working Party agreed provisons for the recording of

budget matters at Council meetings.

Paragraph 6.8 - the Working Party agreed the constitutional amendments

necessary to allow the recording of council meetings and adopted a protocol

as an appendix. The Working Party asked to review implementation and

further consider the operation of Council meeting recording in other local

authorities as part of that review process. In the interim, the Head of Law

would provide a copy of the relevant Regulations to Working Party members.

Paragraph 6.10 - the Working Party agreed to modify the budget and policy

framework rules in accordance with the Localism Act 2011

Paragraph 6.11 - the Working Party agreed changes adding transparency to

the making of officer decisions.

Paragraph 6.12 - the Working Party agreed to give effect to the requirement to

prepare an annual pay policy statement as required by Section 38 of the

Localism Act 2011.

Paragraph 6.13 - the Working Party agreed changes to Financial

Regulations to reflect cahnges in the law and job titles.

Paragraph 6.14 - the Working Party agreed changes to the guidance Code

for Members on Outside Bodies  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.