Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the appointment of Members to Sub-Committees and various other internal and external bodies for the ensuing year.

The Chairman reminded Members of the decision reached at the January meeting of the Committee, where it was agreed that the Sub-Committees should each comprise five Members with the option of co-opting a further person, so as to help spread the workload more evenly among Members. With this in mind, he also made reference to the previous convention that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Police Committee sat on each of the Sub-Committees, commenting that, whilst it was of course appropriate to maintain the ability for them to attend every meeting,  they should not be automatic Members of each Sub-Committee.

In terms of membership, the Town Clerk had received expressions of interest from Members about which Sub-Committees they would be interested in serving on and, using these expressions of interest, a method of distributing the membership to ensure balanced Sub-Committees in terms of numbers and skills had been sought. With this in mind, the Chairman proposed the memberships for the three Sub-Committees and these were agreed.

The co-option of individuals to each Sub-Committee was also discussed, and it was proposed that, in light of her active and keen involvement as a Member of the Professional Standards & Complaints Sub-Committee in the recent past, Vivienne Littlechild would be an ideal candidate. It was consequently agreed that she be invited to sit on Sub-Committee as a co-opted Member.

With regard to the Performance & Resource Management Sub-Committee, the Chairman referenced discussions which had taken place in past few months in respect of ways to better share communication between the Police Committee and the Audit & Risk Management Committee. Given the Sub-Committee’s particular remit, it was suggested that it would be appropriate for it to consider co-opting a Member from the Audit & Risk Management Committee, so as to ensure that this important link was established, and this was agreed.

In respect of the Economic Crime Board, it was agreed that, given it was a new Sub-Committee which would be developing its work programme over the course of the coming year, it would be most appropriate for that Sub-Committee to review the issue of co-option at its first meeting.

It was also noted that, in the past, the Chairmen of the Sub-Committees had been elected at their respective first meetings; however, with each not due to meet again for some time, the Chairman suggested that it would be sensible to make these appointments immediately, given that most decision makers were present and so as to enable all Members to engage immediately in their respective areas of expertise. This was agreed and, following debate, it was also agreed that it would be sensible to align the Lead Members for Special Interest Areas with the Chairmanship of the various Sub-Committees. Consequently, Simon Duckworth was appointed Chairman of the Economic Crime Board; Deputy Doug Barrow as Chairman of the Performance & Resource Management Sub-Committee, and Deputy Joyce Nash as the Chairman of the Professional Standards & Complaints Sub-Committee.

          RESOLVED: That:-

i)            the content of the report be noted;

ii)           the terms of reference of the three Sub-Committees be agreed as set out in the report;

ii)           the appointment of Members to the Economic Crime Board, the Performance and Resources Management Sub-Committee, and the Professional Standards and Complaints Sub-Committee be agreed as follows:-

Professional Standards and Complaints Sub-Committee

Deputy Joyce Nash (Chairman)

Alderman Alison Gowman

Brian Harris

Helen Marshall

Deputy Richard Regan

Performance and Resources Management Sub-Committee

Deputy Doug Barrow (Chairman)

Deputy Keith Knowles

Robert Duffield

Don Randall

Economic Crime Board

Simon Duckworth (Chairman)

Mark Boleat

Alderman Ian Luder

Helen Marshall

Deputy Richard Regan

iii)          the timing of meetings be agreed as follows-:

·         8 times a year for the Police Committee

·         3 times for its first year for Economic Crime Board;

·         Quarterly for the Performance & Resource Management and Professional Standards & Complaints Sub-Committees

iv)          the appointment of representatives to the various internal and external bodies be agreed as follows:-

a)         Streets and Walkways Sub Committee:

Alderman Alison Gowman

b)         Safer City Partnership:

Henry Pollard

c)         Association of Police Authorities (APA) and its successor bodies:

Simon Duckworth