Agenda item

Council assembly is asked to establish committees and panels for the coming municipal year 2020-21 and to appoint up to three representatives to attend the Local Government Association General Assembly.

The nominations for chairs and vice chairs of committees and the nominations to the Local Government Association General Assembly were circulated. 

 

There were three contested positions.

 

The position of chair of overview and scrutiny committee was put to the vote, and it was agreed that Councillor Ian Wingfield be appointed chair of overview and scrutiny committee.

 

The position of deputy community champion for North-west multi-ward area was put to the vote, and it was agreed that Councillor Karl Eastham be appointed vice-chair of planning committee.

 

The position of community champion for the north-east area was put to the vote, and it was agreed that Councillor Sunny Lambe be appointed community champion for the north-east area.

 

The position of deputy community champion for the north-east area was put to the vote, and it was agreed that Councillor Leanne Werner be appointed deputy community champion for the north-east area.

 

The substantive motion was carried.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That council assembly noted the appointment of political group leaders, deputies and whips:

 

LABOUR GROUP

 

Leader  Councillor Kieron Williams

 

Deputy Leader  Councillor Jasmine Ali

 

Chief Whip  Councillor Maggie Browning

 

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT GROUP

 

Leader  Councillor Nick Johnson

 

Deputy Leader  Councillor William Houngbo

 

Chief Whip  Councillor Hamish McCallum

 

2.  That council assembly noted the political balance of the council as follows:

 

Table 1: Political balance

 

Group	Members	%
Labour	48	76.19
Liberal Democrat	14	22.22
Independent (not a group)	1	1.59
Total	63	100.00

 

3.  That council assembly noted that there is no change to proportionality and the allocation of seats on committees and panels as agreed by council assembly on 18 May 2019 remains the same as set out below.

 

4.  That council assembly established the following committees for the coming municipal year 2020-21:

 

Table 2: Ordinary Committees - Total number of seats 29

 

Committee	Total	Lab	Lib Dem
Committee 1 Appointments Committee	7	6	1
Committee 2 Planning Committee	8	6	2
Committee 3 Audit, Governance and Standards Committee	7	5	2
Committee 4 Corporate Parenting Committee	7	6	1
Total	29	23	6

 

Table 3: Other committees - Total number of seats 26

 

Committee	Total	Lab	Lib Dem
Overview and Scrutiny Committee	11	8	3
Licensing Committee	15	12	3
Total	26	20	6

 

Note: The political balance rules require that the political groups represented on council have proportionate representation on council committees. A political group must comprise at least two members, so the one Independent member does not constitute a political group. Councils can allocate seats on committees to members not aligned to a group, but are under no statutory obligation to do so.

 

Table 4: Multi-ward areas

 

1.	North-west
2.	North-east
3.	West-central
4.	East-central
5.	South

 

Note:  The composition of multi-ward areas is set out in Article 8 of the constitution(see paragraph 42 of the report).

 

Health and wellbeing board

 

5.  That the health and wellbeing board be established as a committee of the council under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 with the membership set out in paragraph 39 of the report. 

 

6.  That it be noted that the leader of the council nominates the local authority membership. In accordance with committee procedure rules, the leader chairs the board.

 

Appointment of chairs and vice chairs

 

7.  That council assembly appointed chairs and vice chairs for the following committees:

 

Committees

 

·  Appointments committee

Chair: Councillor Kieron Williams

Vice-chair: Councillor Jasmine Ali

 

·  Planning committee

Chair: Councillor Martin Seaton

Vice-chair: Councillor Darren Merrill

 

·  Audit, governance and standards committee

Chair: Councillor James McAsh

Vice-chair: Councillor Graham Neale

 

·  Corporate parenting committee [see note 1 below]

Chair: Councillor Jasmine Ali (Appointment of cabinet member with the responsibility for children and schools formally noted)

Vice-chair: Vacant

 

·  Overview and scrutiny committee

Chair: Councillor Ian Wingfield

Vice-Chair: Councillor Victor Chamberlain

 

·  Licensing committee

Chair: Councillor Renata Hamvas

Vice-chair: Councillor Adele Morris

 

Notes:

 

1.  In 2019-20, the cabinet member responsible for children’s services chaired the corporate parenting committee. Council assembly is asked to formally approve this appointment in 2020-21.

2.  All outstanding appointments will be referred to the first meeting of the respective committee in the 2020-21 municipal year.

 

Appointment of community champions

 

8.  That council assembly appoint community champions for the following multi-ward areas:

 

Multi-ward areas: Community Champions

 

	Councillor	Multi-ward area
1.	Damian O’Brien	North-west
2.	Sunny Lambe	North-east
3.	Dora Dixon-Fyle	West-central
4.	Vikki Mills	East-central
5.	Andy Simmons	South

 

Multi-ward areas: Deputy Community Champions

 

	Councillor	Multi-ward area
1.	Karl Eastham	North-west
2.	Leanne Werner	North-east
3.	Eleanor Kerslake	West-central
4.	Cleo Soanes	East-central
5.	Margy Newens	South

 

Establishment of the council’s panels

 

9.  That council assembly establishes the following council panels (see paragraph 53):

 

Table 5: Panels - Total number of seats 16

 

Panel	Total	Lab	Lib Dem
Council assembly business panel	4	3	1
Constitutional steering panel	4	3	1
Pensions advisory panel	3	2	1
Voluntary bodies appointments panel	5	4	1
Total	16	12	4

 

Note: This table is based on the panels established in 2019-20.

 

Appointments of chair to constitutional steering panel and voluntary bodies appointments panel

 

10.  That council assembly appoints a chair to the following panels:

 

·  Constitutional steering panel: Councillor Maggie Browning

 

Notes:

 

1.  That it be noted that the Mayor chairs the council assembly business panel.

 

Urgency committee

 

11.  That the role of the urgency committee between a municipal election and the annual meeting of council assembly, as agreed by council assembly on 26 March 2014, be noted as set out in paragraphs 55 and 56.

 

Appointments to Local Government Association (LGA) General Assembly

 

12.  That council assembly appoints up to three representatives and allocates the seven votes to representatives to attend the LGA General Assembly (see paragraphs 55 and 56 of the report).

 

Representative	No. of votes	Group
Councillor Kieron Williams	3	Labour
Councillor Jasmine Ali	3	Labour
Councillor Adele Morris	1	Liberal Democrat

 

Other appointments to joint committees/outside bodies

 

13.  That council assembly noted the cabinet and other committees will make appointments to all other outside committees and bodies for the municipal year 2020-21 as required by part 3Q of the constitution.