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 (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:

(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:

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

(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

(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.

Council RESOLVED 

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

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:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Electoral Arrangements Committee

7 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Employment Committee

7 Members:

* as Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

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

15 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Planning Committee

15 Members:

* as Planning Portfolio Holder

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Scrutiny and Overview Committee

13 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Council RESOLVED 

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

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:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Electoral Arrangements Committee

7 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Employment Committee

7 Members:

* as Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

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

15 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Planning Committee

15 Members:

* as Planning Portfolio Holder

Substitutes in hierarchical list:

Scrutiny and Overview Committee

13 Members:

Substitutes in hierarchical list: