Agenda item

(Notice - Approval of alternative arrangements for appointments to some Committees and Sub-Committees on a non-proportionate basis, is to be considered).

The Council considered a report which proposed the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees of the Council, having regard to political balance in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act, 1989.

The Council was also advised of adjustments necessary to reflect a best proportionate fit in accordance with the principles of proportionality, as set out within paragraph 25 of the report.

It was reported that following the dispatch of the agenda papers, a list of Political Group nominations for the appointment of Members to serve on Committees, Sub-Committees and Scrutiny Panelshad been circulated for consideration at the meeting, which outlined nominations received from Group Leaders.

The Council was also requested to make appointments and co?options to other Committees of the Council, not subject to the requirement for proportional balance.

Members noted that the proposed allocation of seats set out in the report, was based on:-

(i)    Proportionality being applied to the Committees/Sub-Committees shown in the table below based on the membership indicated:-

(ii)       Proportionality would not apply to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, or the four Overview & Scrutiny Standing Panels, in order to maximise cross-party representation;

(iii)      The Licensing Committee, set up under the Licensing Act 2003, need not be politically proportionate.  However, in seeking nominations from Group Leaders onto these 14 seats, these had been sought in proportion to the overall composition on the Council.  The appointment of Licensing Sub-Committees to conduct hearings under Section 10 of the Licensing Act 2003 was a statutory function reserved by the Act to the statutory Licensing Committee.  Accordingly, it was a matter for the Licensing Committee to appoint these Sub-Committees and to schedule any required meetings; and

(iv)      Proportionality would not apply to the Health and Wellbeing Board in accordance with legislative requirements.

RESOLVED that the Council:-

(1)          resolves before any adjustments are determined, that seats on Committees and Sub-Committees are allocated, as set out in the Table at paragraph 25 of the report;

(2)        determines the necessary adjustments that the Conservative Group lose 1 seat on 2 different Committees/Sub-Committees;

(3)        as a consequence of the loss of the 2 seats at (2) above, allocate the 2 seats to the Independent Members, Councillors John Cooke and George Derx;

(4)        determines the appointment of Members to Committees and Sub-Committees as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A in accordance with the wishes of Political Groups;

(5)        notes that in appointing members to the Audit Committee, in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) guidance, any Member appointed to Cabinet should not be a member of the Audit Committee;

(6)        notes the requirement to include at least one Executive Member on the Chief Officers Appointments Committee;

(7)        determines the appointment of Members as substitutes in respect of the following Committees and Sub-Committees, in accordance with the wishes of Political Groups:-

(a)        Chief Officers Appointments Committee

(b)        Chief Officers Appeals Committee

(c)        Employee Relations Disputes Resolutions Committee

(8)        for the reasons set out at paragraph 8(iii) of the report, agree that the rules of proportionality do not apply to the Licensing Committee;

(9)        subject to (8) above, appoint Members to sit on the Licensing Committee

(14 Members);

(10)      determines the appointment of Members to the following:-

(a)        Parish Councils’ Joint Consultative Committee (6 non-executive Members on a political proportionate basis (5 Labour Group Members and 1 Conservative Group Member); and

(b)        Member Development Working Group (Cabinet Member with responsibility for Member Training and Development and 1 Member from each Political Group).

(11)      approves the revision to the membership of the Health & Wellbeing Board, as detailed at paragraph 58 of the report;

(12)      endorse the appointments of John Hoare as the Church of England representative and Bernadette Nesbit as the Roman Catholic representative on the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel and on the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC) where this is considering issues relating to education matters;

(13)      any appointments to the 2 outstanding Overview and Scrutiny Parent Governor Representatives vacancies be determined by OSMC during the course of the year;

(14)      agrees that future appointments made during the course of the year to any of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-opted Member vacancies, be determined by the OSMC;

(15)      determines the appointment of workforce representatives as non-voting invitees onto the OSMC and the Standing Panels, as detailed at paragraph 49 of the report;

(16)      agree that the OSMC appoint as necessary, any further non-voting invitees to its membership or the membership of the Standing Panels during the course of the year, should it deem necessary;

(17)      note the establishment of the Doncaster Covid-19 Oversight Board; and

(18)      agree that future reviews on the proportional allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees, be limited to the Annual Meeting and if appropriate, a mid-point in the year.