(1) Council is required to appoint Members to its Committees. In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Council Resolution in May 2006 to introduce proportionality, Council is required to allocate seats to political groups on committees and joint committees in accordance with the rules of political balance. In making such appointments, Council is required to adhere to the following principles set out in Section 15(5) of the Act:
(i) Not all seats are allocated to the same political group;
(ii) The majority group should be allocated the majority of seats on each committee;
(iii) Subject to (i)-(ii) above,that the number of seats on committees allocated to each political group bears the same proportion to the total of all the seats on the ordinary committees (61 or 62 or 63 seats) as the number of members of each group to the membership of the authority (57 Members); and:
(iv) subject to (i)-(iii) above, that the number of the seats on each body allocated to each political group is in the same proportion to the total number of seats on that body as the number of members of that group to the membership of the authority.
(2) The Council’s current political balance is as follows:
Name of Group |
Number of Members |
Conservative |
29 |
Liberal Democrat |
20 |
Independent |
6 |
(Non-group Councillors) |
(2) |
(3) Non-group Councillors have no entitlement to seats on committees and do not have to be allocated seats on any committee; however, Council resolved on 24 May 2007 that every non-Executive Member of the Council should be afforded the opportunity to sit on at least one of the following Council bodies:
(a) Planning Committee;
(b) Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act);
(c) Scrutiny and Overview Committee;
(d) Employment Committee;
(e) Electoral Arrangements Committee;
(f) Corporate Governance Committee.
(4) The membership of groups in proportion to the total membership of the Council is as follows:
Group |
% |
Conservative (29 Members) |
50.88 |
Liberal Democrat (20 Members) |
35.09 |
Independent (6 Members) |
10.53 |
The non-group Councillors (Councillor Cathcart and Councillor Mrs Murfitt) together make up 3.51% of the total membership of the Council.
(5) Table 1 below set outs an allocation of seats on Committees, based on the percentage of seats on the Council held by each group:
TABLE 1 ALLOCATION OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES FOR 2010-2011 TO THE COUNCIL’S POLITICAL GROUPS
Committee / Panel |
Seats |
Cons |
Lib Dem |
Ind |
Licensing Committee Licensing Committee (2003 Act) Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act) (see notes 1, 2 and 5 below) |
15 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
Scrutiny and Overview Committee |
12 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
Planning Committee of 13 or |
13 or |
7 or |
5 or |
1 or |
Planning Committee of 14 or |
14 or |
8 or |
5 or |
1 or |
Planning Committee of 15 (see notes 3 and 5 below) |
15 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
Employment Committee (see note 4 below) |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Electoral Arrangements Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Corporate Governance Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Total |
61 or 62 or 63 |
34 or 35 or 35 |
20 |
7 or 7 or 8 |
(6) During 2008/09 and 2009/10, the Liberal Democrat group offered one seat on the Licensing Committees to Councillor Mrs CAED Murfitt, which she accepted both years, and the same offer has been made this year.
During 2008/09, the Conservative group offered one seat on the Licensing Committees to Councillor NN Cathcart, and it has made the same offer this year. Councillor Cathcart declined the previous offer on the grounds that he is a continuing member of the Council’s Standards Committee and that he considered that this position satisfied the requirement for a committee place referred to in paragraph (3) above.
Subject to the above arrangements for the allocation of seats to Councillors Cathcart and Mrs Murfitt on the Licensing Committees, the allocation of seats would be as follows:
TABLE 2 – PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES – GROUP AND NON-GROUP COUNCILLORS
Committee / Panel |
Seats |
Cons |
Lib Dem |
Ind |
Non-group |
Licensing Committee Licensing Committee (2003 Act) Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act) (see notes 2 and 5 below) |
15 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
Scrutiny and Overview Committee |
12 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
Planning Committee of 13 or |
13 or |
7 or |
5 or |
1 or |
0 |
Planning Committee of 14 or |
14 or |
8 or |
5 or |
1 or |
0 |
Planning Committee of 15 (see notes 3 and 5 below) |
15 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
Employment Committee (see note 4 below) |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Electoral Arrangements Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Corporate Governance Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Total |
61 or 62 or 63 |
33 or 34 or 34 |
19 |
7 or 7 or 8 |
2 |
(7) Subject to Council’s resolution at Agenda Item 13 (Council Standing Orders 1.2(b) and 4.1(b)), Council is asked to appoint up to four substitute members per political group, in a hierarchical list, to each of the following Council bodies:
(a) Planning Committee;
(b) Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act);
(c) Scrutiny and Overview Committee;
(d) Employment Committee;
(e) Electoral Arrangements Committee; and
(f) Corporate Governance Committee.
NOTES
(1) The Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act) and Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act) are separate entities but should comprise the same members.
(2) Subject to the agreement of Council at Agenda Item 13 (Council Standing Orders 1.2(b) and 4.1(b)), the Licensing Committee’s membership may include the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for licensing matters;
(3) Subject to the agreement of Council at Agenda Item 13 (Council Standing Orders 1.2(b) and 4.1(b)), the Planning Committee’s membership may include the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for development control matters;
(4) The Employment Committee’s membership shall include the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for staffing matters.
(5) Relevant training is mandatory for Members wishing to sit on the Planning and Licensing Committees when determining applications. This requirement extends to substitutes.
(6) Tables 1-2 will be subject to change should Council agree different Committee sizes from those recommended in Agenda Item 13 above.
Group Leaders and the Convenor of the Independent Group have been requested to submit nominations to Committees in accordance with the allocations set out in the above table. Details of the nominations received from the political groups in time for the agenda publication have been enclosed separately with the agenda, and any further nominations will be circulated to Council as soon as they are available.
RECOMMENDATION
That Council determine the allocation of seats on, and make appointments and substitute appointments to, committees in accordance with Table 2 above and based on the requirement for political proportionality.
Decision:
Council RESOLVED
(1) That seats be allocated on committees in accordance with the table below:
Committee / Panel |
Seats |
Cons |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
Non-Group |
Corporate Governance Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Electoral Arrangements Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Employment Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Licensing Committee Licensing Committee (2003 Act) Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act) |
15 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
Planning Committee |
15 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
Scrutiny and Overview Committee |
13 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
TOTAL |
64 |
34 |
20 |
8 |
2 |
and;
(2) That, based on the allocations at (1) above, and the requirement for political proportionality, the following appointments to Committees be made for the 2010/11 civic year:
Corporate Governance Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Francis Burkitt |
John Batchelor |
Douglas de Lacey |
Mervyn Loynes |
John G Williams |
|
David McCraith |
|
|
Peter Topping |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Richard Barrett |
Jim Stewart |
Alex Riley |
2 |
Ben Shelton |
Liz Heazell |
|
3 |
David Bird |
|
|
4 |
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
Electoral Arrangements Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Roger Hall |
Frances Amrani |
Mike Mason |
Raymond Matthews |
John F Williams |
|
Robert Turner |
|
|
Bunty Waters |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Charlie Nightingale |
Hazel Smith |
Neil Scarr |
2 |
Tony Orgee |
Surinder Soond |
|
3 |
Val Barrett |
|
|
4 |
James Hockney |
|
|
Employment Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Pippa Corney |
Liz Heazell |
Alex Riley |
Simon Edwards* |
Sebastian Kindersley |
|
Raymond Matthews |
|
|
Tony Orgee |
|
|
* as Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Val Barrett |
Jim Stewart |
Douglas de Lacey |
2 |
Brian Burling |
John Batchelor |
|
3 |
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act)
15 Members:
Conservative (7) |
Lib Dems (4) |
Ind (2) |
Non-Group (2) |
Richard Barrett |
Trisha Bear |
Sally Hatton |
Nigel Cathcart |
Val Barrett |
Liz Heazell |
Alex Riley |
Cicely Murfitt |
Roger Hall |
Janet Lockwood |
|
|
Mervyn Loynes |
John F Williams |
|
|
Raymond Matthews |
|
|
|
David McCraith |
|
|
|
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
Non-Group |
1 |
|
Hazel Smith |
Neil Scarr |
|
2 |
|
Jose Hales |
|
|
Planning Committee
15 Members:
Conservative (8) |
Lib Dems (5) |
Ind (2) |
Val Barrett |
Trisha Bear |
Sally Hatton |
Brian Burling |
Lynda Harford |
Deborah Roberts |
Pippa Corney |
Sebastian Kindersley |
|
Mervyn Loynes |
Hazel Smith |
|
Charlie Nightingale |
John F Williams |
|
Peter Topping |
|
|
Robert Turner |
|
|
Nick Wright* |
|
|
* as Planning Portfolio Holder
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
David McCraith |
Tumi Hawkins |
Neil Scarr |
2 |
Richard Barrett |
Jose Hales |
Mike Mason |
3 |
Raymond Matthews |
John Batchelor |
Alex Riley |
4 |
David Bard |
Mark Hersom |
|
Scrutiny and Overview Committee
13 Members:
Conservative (7) |
Lib Dems (5) |
Ind (1) |
Roger Hall |
Jose Hales |
Mike Mason |
James Hockney |
Tumi Hawkins |
|
Peter Johnson |
Liz Heazell |
|
David Morgan |
Mark Hersom |
|
Tony Orgee |
Bridget Smith |
|
Ben Shelton |
|
|
Bunty Waters |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Richard Barrett |
John Batchelor |
Deborah Roberts |
2 |
Charlie Nightingale |
Edd Stonham |
Sally Hatton |
3 |
David Bird |
Lynda Harford |
|
4 |
Val Barrett |
Minutes:
Council RESOLVED
(1) That seats be allocated on committees in accordance with the table below:
Committee / Panel |
Seats |
Cons |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
Non-Group |
Corporate Governance Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Electoral Arrangements Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Employment Committee |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Licensing Committee Licensing Committee (2003 Act) Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act) |
15 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
Planning Committee |
15 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
Scrutiny and Overview Committee |
13 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
TOTAL |
64 |
34 |
20 |
8 |
2 |
and;
(2) That, based on the allocations at (1) above, and the requirement for political proportionality, the following appointments to Committees be made for the 2010/11 civic year:
Corporate Governance Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Francis Burkitt |
John Batchelor |
Douglas de Lacey |
Mervyn Loynes |
John G Williams |
|
David McCraith |
|
|
Peter Topping |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Richard Barrett |
Jim Stewart |
Alex Riley |
2 |
Ben Shelton |
Liz Heazell |
|
3 |
David Bird |
|
|
4 |
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
Electoral Arrangements Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Roger Hall |
Frances Amrani |
Mike Mason |
Raymond Matthews |
John F Williams |
|
Robert Turner |
|
|
Bunty Waters |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Charlie Nightingale |
Hazel Smith |
Neil Scarr |
2 |
Tony Orgee |
Surinder Soond |
|
3 |
Val Barrett |
|
|
4 |
James Hockney |
|
|
Employment Committee
7 Members:
Conservative (4) |
Lib Dems (2) |
Ind (1) |
Pippa Corney |
Liz Heazell |
Alex Riley |
Simon Edwards* |
Sebastian Kindersley |
|
Raymond Matthews |
|
|
Tony Orgee |
|
|
* as Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Val Barrett |
Jim Stewart |
Douglas de Lacey |
2 |
Brian Burling |
John Batchelor |
|
3 |
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act)
15 Members:
Conservative (7) |
Lib Dems (4) |
Ind (2) |
Non-Group (2) |
Richard Barrett |
Trisha Bear |
Sally Hatton |
Nigel Cathcart |
Val Barrett |
Liz Heazell |
Alex Riley |
Cicely Murfitt |
Roger Hall |
Janet Lockwood |
|
|
Mervyn Loynes |
John F Williams |
|
|
Raymond Matthews |
|
|
|
David McCraith |
|
|
|
Charlie Nightingale |
|
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
Non-Group |
1 |
|
Hazel Smith |
Neil Scarr |
|
2 |
|
Jose Hales |
|
|
Planning Committee
15 Members:
Conservative (8) |
Lib Dems (5) |
Ind (2) |
Val Barrett |
Trisha Bear |
Sally Hatton |
Brian Burling |
Lynda Harford |
Deborah Roberts |
Pippa Corney |
Sebastian Kindersley |
|
Mervyn Loynes |
Hazel Smith |
|
Charlie Nightingale |
John F Williams |
|
Peter Topping |
|
|
Robert Turner |
|
|
Nick Wright* |
|
|
* as Planning Portfolio Holder
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
David McCraith |
Tumi Hawkins |
Neil Scarr |
2 |
Richard Barrett |
Jose Hales |
Mike Mason |
3 |
Raymond Matthews |
John Batchelor |
Alex Riley |
4 |
David Bard |
Mark Hersom |
|
Scrutiny and Overview Committee
13 Members:
Conservative (7) |
Lib Dems (5) |
Ind (1) |
Roger Hall |
Jose Hales |
Mike Mason |
James Hockney |
Tumi Hawkins |
|
Peter Johnson |
Liz Heazell |
|
David Morgan |
Mark Hersom |
|
Tony Orgee |
Bridget Smith |
|
Ben Shelton |
|
|
Bunty Waters |
|
|
Substitutes in hierarchical list:
Order |
Conservative |
Lib Dems |
Ind |
1 |
Richard Barrett |
John Batchelor |
Deborah Roberts |
2 |
Charlie Nightingale |
Edd Stonham |
Sally Hatton |
3 |
David Bird |
Lynda Harford |
|
4 |
Val Barrett |
Supporting documents: