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 28 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 Panels, had been circulated to Members and tabled 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.

Councillor Steve Cox notified Council of a change to the Conservative Group nomination on the Parish Council Joint Consultative Committee at page 12 of Appendix A as follows:

Councillor Richard Allan Jones to replace Councillor Steve Cox.

            RESOLVED that:-

                (1)          seats on Committees and Sub-Committees be allocated as set                     out in the table at paragraph 25 of the report, subject to the                                 Labour Group losing 1 seat on the Chief Officers Appeals                         Committee and the Mexborough First Group losing 1 on the                              Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee;

(2)        as a consequence of the loss of the 2 seats detailed at (1)     above, the two seats, 1 seat to be allocated to the Conservative        Group and 1 seat be allocated to the Independent Member,   Councillor Rob Reid, as follows:-

(a)      Conservative Group

·      Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee (Councillor Martin Greenhalgh)

(b)     Councillor Rob Reid

·      Chief Officers Appeals Committees

(3)        the membership of Committees and Sub-Committees for        2023/24 including substitute provision in respect of the Chief   Officers Appointments Committee, the Chief Officers Appeals             Committee and the Employee Relations Disputes Resolution       Committee, be as set out in the schedule attached to these   minutes at Appendix A in accordance with the wishes of Political          Groups;

(4)        it be noted that in appointing Members to the Audit Committee,         in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy guidance, any Member appointed to Cabinet     should not be a member of the Audit Committee;

(5)        the requirement to include an Executive Member on the Chief           Officers Appointments Committee, be noted;

(6)        for the reasons referred to in paragraph 8(iii) of the report, the           rules of proportionality do not apply to the Licensing Committee;

(7)      the membership of the Licensing Committee be as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A;

(8)      the membership of the Parish Councils’ Joint Consultative Committee and the Member Development Working Group, be as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A;

(9)      the appointments of Antoinette Drinkhill, 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 where this is considering issues relating to education matters, be endorsed;

(10)   any appointments to the 2 outstanding Overview and Scrutiny Parent Governor Representative vacancies be determined by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee during the course of the year;

(11)   future appointments made during the course of the year to any of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-opted Member vacancies be determined by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee;

(12)   the appointment of workforce representatives as non-voting invitees onto the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and the Standing Panels, as detailed at paragraph 51 of the report and as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A, be approved;

(13)   the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee 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;

(14)   the revision to the membership of the Health & Wellbeing Board, as detailed at paragraph 60 of the report, be approved and the membership of the Board be as set out within paragraphs 58 and 59 of the report and the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A;

(15)   the Council reaffirms 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.