Issue - meetings

The proposed memberships of the respective Committees will be circulated prior to the meeting.

The Council considered a report to enable it to appoint its Committees and

            Sub-Committees for the 2021/22 Municipal Year, including the allocation of seats in accordance with political balance requirements.

            Following consultation with Group Leaders, it was not deemed necessary to continue the previous year’s practice of appointing a second vice-chair for each committee.

            A change to the Council’s call-in procedure was recommended so that no single political group could trigger the process. This was in light of the proposed increase in the size of the Audit & Scrutiny Committee and would require five members of that committee (as opposed to three) to ‘call-in’ a relevant policy committee decision. Arguments for and against this amendment were debated.

            Given the current political balance of the Council, it was also considered appropriate to require officers to consult the three largest political groups on key matters referred to within the constitution. The process for such consultation was governed by Standing Order 46 which identified political groups comprising ten or more Councillors as those having to be consulted (when, as at present, the Council is in a state of no overall control). An amendment to that Standing Order was therefore recommended whereby the size of such groups would be reduced to eight or more Councillors.

          R E S O L V E D – that:

A.        the Council’s Committees for 2021/22, and the number of seats allocated to each Committee, be as per Appendix B;

B.        the Council’s Sub-Committees for 2021/22, and the number of seats allocated to each Sub-Committee, be as per Appendix C;

C.        one chair and vice-chair be appointed by each Committee and

          Sub-Committee for 2021/22;

D.        the number of Councillors on the Audit & Scrutiny Committee who can, collectively, trigger the call-in process be increased from three to five Councillors and that paragraph 4.1 of the Council’s call-in procedure be amended accordingly; and

E.        Standing Order 46 (Requirements for Officers to consult with Members) be amended to require officers to undertake relevant consultation with political groups comprising eight (as opposed to ten) or more Councillors, i.e.:

          “Throughout Financial Regulations, the Scheme of Delegation and the Planning Protocol (parts C, E and F of the Constitution) requirements for officers having to consult Members shall be interpreted as follows:

(i)         if the Council is in a state of no overall control (i.e. where no single political group or a coalition of groups has an absolute majority of seats) such consultation shall be with the Leaders, or their nominated representatives, of political groups comprising ten eight or more Councillors; or

(ii)       if a single political group or a coalition of groups forming the Administration has an absolute majority of seats, such consultation shall be solely with the Leader(s) of the Council or his / her / their nominated representative(s).