Agenda item

Council assembly is asked to establish committees and consider other related constitutional issues for 2012/13.

(See pages 5 - 48 of the main agenda)

 

There were four questions on the report, the written responses to which were circulated on yellow paper at the meeting.  Three supplemental questions were asked of the leader.  All questions and written responses are attached in Appendix 1 to the minutes.

 

The Mayor stated that in accordance with council assembly procedure rule 2.11(2), this being an officer report, the recommendations set out in the report were deemed to have been moved and were subject to amendment only.  She announced that she intended to consider each recommendation where a decision was needed separately.  The remaining recommendations would be considered as part of the substantive motion.

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 3 – establishment of ordinary committees.  The recommendation was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 4 – establishment of the size and composition of the overview and scrutiny committee.  The recommendation was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The Mayor announced she had received one amendment to Recommendation 5 – establishment of the size and composition of community councils.  Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, seconded by Councillor Paul Noblet, moved Amendment A.

 

Following debate (Councillors Columba Blango, Richard Livingstone, Mark Gettleston, Stephen Govier, Abdul Mohamed, Eliza Mann, Gavin Edwards, Robin Crookshank Hilton, Mark Glover, Lewis Robinson, Catherine Bowman, Peter John, Michael Mitchell, Claire Hickson, Poddy Clark, Veronica Ward and Nick Stanton), Councillor Tim McNally, seconded by Councillor Paul Noblet, moved that council assembly procedure rule 1.12(6) (suspension of the guillotine) be agreed in order to extend the debate.  The procedure motion was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

 

The debate continued (Councillor Nick Dolezal).  Thereafter Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

 

At 10.08pm the bell was rang and the Mayor informed the meeting that the guillotine had fallen, therefore each recommendation would be voted upon without further debate.

 

The Mayor moved Recommendations 6 to 7  – establishment of the size and composition of the licensing committee.  The recommendations were put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

In moving Recommendation 8 - appointment of chairs and vice chairs of committees and community councils, the Mayor announced that there was one change to the cream papers circulated at the meeting in respect of the new standards committee effective from 1 July 2012, Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle’s nomination for chair was invalid as she was a member of the cabinet and cabinet members cannot chair the standards committee.  Councillor Helen Morrissey was nominated but council assembly having agreed to appoint Councillor Morrissey, the appointment was declined and the nomination withdrawn.  Subsequently Councillor Peter John, seconded by Councillor Ian Wingfield, nominated Councillor Cleo Soanes as chair of the standards committee.

 

No further nominations were forthcoming, therefore the nomination was put to the vote and council assembly appointed Councillor Cleo Soanes as chair of the new standards committee, with effect from 1 July 2012.

 

The Mayor stated that two nominations had been received for the position of chair of the audit and governance committee, Councillors James Barber and Mark Glover.  No further nominations were forthcoming, therefore the nominations were put to the vote and council assembly appointed Councillor Mark Glover as chair of the audit and governance committee.

 

Thereafter the Mayor moved the uncontested nominations in respect of Recommendation 8 for the appointment of chairs and vice chairs of committees and community councils.  The nominations set out on the cream paper circulated at the meeting were put to the vote and declared to be carried

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 9 – establishment of a standards committee until 30 June 2012.  The recommendation was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 15 – establishment of panels.  The recommendation was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

As part Recommendation 15 the Mayor announced that the meeting needed to appoint the chairs of the constitutional steering panel and the voluntary bodies appointment panel.  The nominations set out on the cream paper circulated at the meeting were put to the vote and declared to be carried

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 16 – Council assembly dates.  The recommendation was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The Mayor moved Recommendation 18 – allocation of representative and votes on the Local Government Association General Assembly.  The nominations set out on the lilac paper circulated at the meeting were put to the vote and declared to be carried

 

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That the appointment of political leaders, deputies and whips be noted as follows:

 

Labour Group

 

Leader  Councillor Peter John

 

Deputy Leader  Councillor Ian Wingfield

 

Chief Whip  Councillor Helen Morrissey

 

Liberal Democrat Group

 

Leader  Councillor Anood Al-Samerai

 

Deputy Leader  Councillor Paul Noblet

 

Chief Whip  Councillor Tim McNally

 

Conservative Group

 

Leader  Councillor Lewis Robinson

 

Deputy Leader  Councillor Toby Eckersley

 

Chief Whip  Councillor Michael Mitchell

 

2.  That the size and composition of the council’s regulatory and other committees be established in accordance with the number of seats each political group has on the council as a whole, as set out below:

 

Table 1:  Committees which will operate until 30 June 2012 whilst the current standards regime applies

 

Committee	Total	Lab	Lib Dem	Con
Committee 1 Appointments Committee	7	4	3	0
Committee 2 Planning Committee	7	4	3	0
Committee 4 Audit and Governance Committee	7	4	2	1
Committee 5 Corporate Parenting Committee	7	4	3	0
Total	28	16	11	1

 

Note on Table 1: In the period until the end of June 2012, a standards committee be established comprised of six councillors, with seats allocated to political groups as follows:

 

·  Labour 3 places

·  Liberal Democrat 2 places

·  Conservative 1 place.

 

Table 2:  Committees from 1 July 2012 when the new standards regime takes effect

 

Committee	Total	Lab	Lib Dem	Con
Committee 1 Appointments Committee	7	4	3	0
Committee 2 Planning Committee	7	4	3	0
Committee 3 Standards Committee	9	5	3	1
Committee 4 Audit and Governance Committee	7	4	2	1
Committee 5 Corporate Parenting Committee	7	4	3	0
Total	37	21	14	2

 

Overview and scrutiny committee

 

3.  That an overview and scrutiny committee be established, with a total of 11 seats with the following proportionate allocation of seats:

 

·  6 Labour

·  4 Liberal Democrat

·  1 Conservative.

 

Community councils

 

4.  That in line with the council assembly decision of 29 February 2012, the community councils be established as set out below:

 

·  Bermondsey and Rotherhithe

·  Borough, Bankside and Walworth

·  Camberwell

·  Dulwich

·  Peckham and Nunhead.

 

Licensing committee

 

5.  That a licensing committee be established with a total of 15 seats with the following allocation of seats:

 

·  8 Labour

·  6 Liberal Democrat

·  1 Conservative.

 

Licensing sub-committee

 

6.  That a licensing sub-committee be established with delegated authority to hear licence applications including Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, street trading and markets and other licensing responsibilities granted by statute.  The sub-committee to include members of the licensing committee with a quorum of three members.

 

Appointment of chairs and vice chairs

 

7.  That the following be appointed as chairs and vice chairs for the committees and community councils outlined below:

 

Overview and scrutiny committee

 

Chair: Councillor Catherine Bowman

Vice Chair: Councillor Dan Garfield

 

Planning committee

 

Chair: Councillor Nick Dolezal

Vice Chair: Councillor Darren Merrill

 

Licensing committee

 

Chair: Councillor Sunil Chopra

Vice Chair: Councillor Jeff Hook

 

Appointments committee

 

Chair: Councillor Peter John

Vice Chair: Councillor Ian Wingfield

 

Audit and governance committee

 

Chair: Councillor Mark Glover

Vice Chair: Vacant

 

Corporate parenting committee

 

Chair: Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle

Vice Chair: Councillor Eliza Mann

 

Standards committee (effective from 1 July 2012)

 

Chair: Councillor Cleo Soanes

Vice Chair: Councillor Tim McNally

 

Bermondsey and Rotherhithe community council

 

Chair: Councillor Nick Stanton

Vice Chair: Councillor Michael Bukola

 

Borough, Bankside and Walworth community council

 

Chair: Councillor Martin Seaton

Vice Chair: Councillor David Noakes

 

Camberwell community council

 

Chair: Councillor Norma Gibbes

Vice Chair: Councillor Dora Dixon Fyle

 

Dulwich community council

 

Chair: Councillor Robin Crookshank Hilton

Vice Chair: Vacant

 

Peckham and Nunhead community council

 

Chair: Councillor Cleo Soanes

Vice Chair: Councillor Mark Glover.

 

Note:  The vacant position of vice-chair for the audit and governance committee and of Dulwich community council will be considered at the first meeting.

 

Establishing a standards committee (until 30 June 2012)

 

8.  That until 30 June 2012, a standards committee be established under the Local Government Act 2000.

 

9.  That it be noted that the current constitution states all political groups must be represented on the standards committee and it should comprise of at least four councillors and up to seven councillors.  Council assembly noted the decision in previous years to allocate the councillor membership proportionately.  In order to comply with its constitutional requirements, council assembly agreed to establish a standards committee comprising of six councillors and the five independent members up until 30 June 2012.  The seats to be allocated to political groups as follows:

 

·  Labour 3 places

·  Liberal Democrat 2 places

·  Conservative 1 place.

 

10.  That political groups will be entitled to nominate reserves on the following basis:

 

·  The number of reserves is equivalent to the number of places on the standards committee.

 

11.  That it be noted that in accordance with the constitution, the election of chair and vice chair of the standards committee (until 30 June 2012) takes place at its first meeting in the 2012/13 municipal year.

 

12.  That the terms of office of the following independent members be extended to allow them to serve on the standards committee after annual council until 30 June 2012:

 

Name of independent member and term of office on appointment

 

·  Peter Bibby - until annual council May 2012 (1^st term)

·  Wendy Golding - until annual council May 2012 (2^nd term).

 

Establishing a standards committee (from 1 July 2012)

 

13.  That it be noted that a new standards committee under the new regime will be established with effect from 1 July 2012 (see recommendation 3).

 

Establishment of the council’s panels

 

14.  That the following council panels be established:

 

·  Council assembly business panel – The panel is chaired by the Mayor and also consists of one representative from each political group.  The panel acts as an advisory panel to the Mayor on council assembly, including the annual programme and the setting of themes for debate.  Groups can nominate a reserve to attend in the absence of a representative.

 

·  Constitutional steering panel – That council assembly agrees to establish a constitutional steering panel comprised of the whip and one other member from the Labour Group and the political whips of the other groups represented on the council.

 

·  Pensions advisory panel – The panel has a composition of members, officers, independent advisors and a trade union representative.  The purpose of the panel is to advise the advice to the finance director when performing functions relating to the council’s pension scheme.

 

·  Voluntary bodies appointment panel – The panel has a composition of three Labour and two Liberal Democrat members.  The panel will be responsible for recommending the appointment of charity trustees to specific Southwark charities and recommending appointments to the position of school governor on local education authority secondary and special school governing bodies.

 

15.  That the following members be appointed chair of the panels outlined below:

 

Constitutional steering panel

 

Chair: Councillor Helen Morrissey

 

Voluntary bodies appointment panel

 

Chair: Councillor Ian Wingfield.

 

Council assembly dates

 

16.  That the following dates be agreed for meetings of council assembly and that these dates be fixed in the council calendar for the municipal year 2012/13:

 

Council Assembly Meetings 2012/13	Theme
Wednesday 4 July 2012	Health in Southwark
Wednesday 17 October 2012	Opportunities for young people, including youth employment
Wednesday 28 November 2012	Transport in Southwark
Wednesday 23 January 2013	Affordable housing and social housing
Wednesday 27 February 2013	Budget and council tax setting
Wednesday 27 March 2013	To be confirmed
Wednesday 22 May 2013	Annual meeting (Mayor making & constitutional)

 

Council calendar

 

17.  That the calendar of council meetings for the 2012/13 municipal year ahead as shown at Appendix 6of the report be noted.

 

Appointments to Local Government Association General Assembly

 

18.  That two representatives with an allocation of five votes be appointed to the representatives to the LGA General Assembly as follows:

 

·  Councillor Peter John - 3 votes

·  Councillor Anood Al-Samerai - 2 votes.

 

Other appointments to joint committees/outside bodies

 

19.  That it be noted that the cabinet and other committees will make appointments to all other outside committees and bodies for the municipal year 2012/13 as required by part 3S of the constitution. 

 

Urgency committee

 

20.  That the role of the urgency committee between a municipal election and the annual meeting of council assembly be reviewed in light of the post-election period in 2010 and the new executive arrangements.  Officers will report to the constitutional steering panel with proposals on future urgency arrangements.