Agenda item

(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 (62 seats) as the number of members of each group to the membership of the authority (56 Members); and:

(iv)              subject to (i)-(iii) above, that the number of the seats on each committee 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 (a vacancy has arisen, following the resignation of Mrs. VG Ford on 23 April 2009):

(3)               Non-group Councillors have no entitlement to seats on committees and do not have to be allocated seats on any committee. Council previously resolved, however, 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:

The non-group Councillors (Councillor Cathcart and Councillor Mrs. Murfitt) together make up 3.57% 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 2009-2010 TO THE COUNCIL’S POLITICAL GROUPS

(6)               During 2008-2009, the Liberal Democrat group relinquished one seat on the Licensing Committees to Councillor Mrs CAED Murfitt. Due to Mrs Murfitt’s previous experience of licensing matters, it is recommended that Council allocate a seat to Mrs Murfitt on the licensing committees.

Councillor Cathcart is a continuing member of the Council’s Standards Committee. He has advised that he considers that this position satisfies the requirement for a committee place referred to in paragraph (3) above.

Subject to the same arrangements continuing for the allocation of a seat to Councillor 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

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)               The Employment Committee’s membership shall include the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for staffing matters.

(3)               Relevant training is mandatory for Members wishing to sit on the Planning and licensing committees when determining applications. This requirement extends to substitutes. 

(4)               Tables 1-2 will be subject to change should Council agree different Committee sizes from those recommended in Agenda Item 10 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 by the political groups will be circulated to Council as soon as they are available.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council determine the allocation of seats on, and make appointments to, committees in accordance with Table 2 above and based on the requirement for political proportionality.

Council RESOLVED  

(1)   That seats be allocated on committees in accordance with Table 2 at Agenda page (v);

(2)   That, based on the allocations at (1) above, and the requirement for political proportionality, the following appointments to Committees be made for the 2009-2010 civic year:

Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act)

15 Members

Planning Committee

14 Members

Scrutiny and Overview Committee

12 Members

Employment Committee

7 Members

*Plus the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for staffing matters, SM Edwards

Electoral Arrangements Committee

7 Members

Corporate Governance Committee

7 Members

Council RESOLVED, with no Members voting against: 

(1)   That seats be allocated on committees in accordance with the following table:

PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES – GROUP AND NON-GROUP COUNCILLORS

(2)   That, based on the allocations in the above table, and the requirement for political proportionality, the following appointments to Committees be made for the 2009-2010 civic year:

Licensing Committee, Licensing Committee (2003 Act), Licensing Committee (2005 Gambling Act)

15 Members

Planning Committee

14 Members

Scrutiny and Overview Committee

12 Members

Employment Committee

7 Members*

*Plus the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for staffing matters, SM Edwards

Electoral Arrangements Committee

7 Members

Corporate Governance Committee

7 Members