Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Marren and B Moran.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Sub-Committee on any matter relevant to its work.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.  Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility.  However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice.  This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2011.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2011 be approved as a correct record.

To consider revisions to the Terms of Reference of the Sub-Committee.

At its last meeting the Sub-Committee had requested that the Terms of Reference be revised in order to make them clearer; it wished its remit to be more precise and to take into account the way in which it had evolved from its original format as a Task Group to being reconstituted as a Sub-Committee. 

The report included the terms of reference as originally submitted, the revised terms of reference, to be read in conjunction with the procedure for adding new organisations to the list, and the criteria to be followed when making appointments to outside organisations.

In discussing the proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference a question was raised regarding the establishment of the Sub-Committee in accordance with the rules of political proportionality, and also its application to the allocation of some appointments as referred to in the appointments criteria.  A question was also raised concerning the allocation of positions in those instances where the organisation covered more than one ward.  With regard to the allocation of positions it was stressed that at all times the most important consideration was that the person with the greatest knowledge or interest in the organisation concerned should be appointed to it and this was the prime consideration of the Sub Committee.

Point (i) of the revised Terms of Reference referred to Member Training and the Sub-Committee requested that the Senior Member Development Officer be asked to ascertain whether newly appointed Members were satisfied with the information they had been supplied with concerning appointments to Outside Organisations or whether they would appreciate some additional training.

RESOLVED

That approval be given to the revised terms of reference of the Sub-Committee as submitted and that they be referred to the Constitution Committee for ratification.

At the last meeting of the Sub-Committee it was agreed that as part of the review process Councillors appointed to organisations would be asked their views on the organisation.

It was requested that a draft letter be prepared for approval by the Sub-Committee; a copy of which is attached and incorporates the questions that were suggested.

At its last meeting the Sub-Committee had agreed that as part of its ongoing  review process it would ask Members appointed to outside bodies their views on the appropriateness of their representation on the organisation.  A draft letter had been prepared for approval by the Sub-Committee, based on the questions it had suggested.

A minor amendment was made to the wording of Q4, to insert ‘to date’ after the word contribution.   In addition a further question was added as follows:

5.  Have any Cheshire East Officers been present to provide support at any of these meetings?

It was agreed that the letter should be sent by email, with a response slip attached, to Members appointed to the first two tranches of organisations shown on the list circulated as part of the work programme.

RESOLVED

That approval be given to the draft letter subject to the insertion of ‘to date’ in Q4, and the addition of a further question concerning officer support at meetings.

In order to assist the work of the Sub-Committee it is suggested that a work programme is considered at the end of each of its meetings.  A draft will be circulated (to follow) showing a breakdown of the review to be carried out.  In addition, and in order to facilitate the progress of the review, the Sub-Committee are asked to consider setting a series of meeting dates that can be timetabled into members and officers diaries. 

Consideration was given to a draft work programme circulated at the meeting.  In addition, and in conjunction with the review of representation on outside organisations appointed by the Constitution Committee, a schedule was provided of the 71 organisations involved.

An update was given on progress to date in compiling a list of officers associated with the organisations; it had been agreed that this information should be sought from Members as part of the review process (minute no 27 refers). 

It was agreed that the next meeting be held on Tuesday 28 February 2012 at 10.30 am.

RESOLVED

That the draft work programme be received.