Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that, in accordance with governance procedure rule at Part 3 paragraph 2.6, Panel Members, or their constituent authority, may nominate substitute members of the Panel in the event that the appointed representative(s) is/are unable to attend the meeting.  Advance notice of substitution should be given to the host authority wherever possible.  Members are encouraged wherever possible to secure the attendance of a substitute if they are unable to be present.

Apologies were received from Cllr Wendy Maisey OBE (Warrington) and Cllr Phil Marshall (Cheshire West and Chester).

To appoint a Chair for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED:

That Mr Evan Morris MBE be elected as Chair of the Panel for the 2023/24 Municipal year.

To appoint a Deputy Chair for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED:

That Miss Yasmin Somani be elected as Deputy Chair of the Panel for the 2023/24 Municipal year.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when the item is reached.

No issues were raised.

To receive questions from members of the public. A total period of 15 minutes will be allocated for members of the public to speak at Panel meetings. Each member of the public shall be limited to a period of up to 5 minutes speaking. At the Chair’s discretion the period made available for questions and statements may be extended.

In order that an appropriate answer to the questions can be given, the deadline for indicating a wish to speak or for submission of questions is 3 clear working days before a meeting of the Panel. The Chair has the discretion to waive the 3-day rule for issues deemed to be urgent.

In response to questions or statements the Panel may choose to agree to either provide an agreed verbal response, that will be minuted or to provide a written reply to a questioners chosen address.

Those wishing to ask a question or make a statement should register by email to: martin.r.smith@cheshireeast.gov.ukor send the question or statement by post to:

Cheshire Police and Crime Panel

Democratic Services and Governance

c/o Municipal Buildings

Earle Street

Crewe

CW1 2BJ

A list of those speaking or asking questions at a meeting of the Panel will be drawn up by the Panel’s Secretariat in order of receipt. Copies of questions and statements will be circulated to all Panel members in advance of the meeting and will be made available to the public attending the meeting. Copies will also be available on the Police and Crime Panel’s page of the Cheshire East Council website.

Nobody may submit more than one question or make more than one statement at the same meeting, but a supplementary question, related to the subject raised in the question /statement, will be permitted for clarification at the discretion of the Chair.

Those speaking or asking questions will not be permitted to address any issue that is the subject of a current or proposed complaint by them against the Police and Crime Commissioner. They are also advised that reference to an issue that could become the subject of a future complaint by them could prejudice the Panel’s consideration of that complaint.

The Panel will not accept a question or statement if:

There is insufficient detail to enable a proper response to be provided.

It is not about a matter for which the Police and Crime Panel has responsibility.

It is potentially defamatory, frivolous or offensive against named individuals.

It is substantially the same question which has been put at a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel in the last six months.

It requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

No members of the public wished to speak at the meeting.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2023.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 17^th March 2023 be approved.

To note the nominations received from four Cheshire Police Area Councils.

To appoint members of the Panel’s Complaints Management Sub Committee, including the appointment of Chair and Deputy Chair.

The Panel noted the nominations made by the constituent Councils for the 2023/24 Municipal year. They also noted the need to appoint members to the Complaints Management Sub Committee; especially to the positions of Chair and Deputy Chair, who had key roles to play in the Panel’s Complaints Management system.

The Chair thanked those no longer serving on the Panel for their service and support, he also thanked Cllr Rob Bissett, the former Deputy Chair, for his very significant contribution to the work of the Panel over many years.

RESOLVED:

1          Mrs Gemma Shepherd – Etchells be appointed as Chair of the Complaints Management Sub Committee and Cllr Jane Whalen appointed as Deputy Chair of the Sub Committee.

2          The Secretariat to liaise with Panel members after the meeting to agree the remaining membership of the Sub Committee.

To review and adopt the Rules of Procedure for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED:

1          The Panel adopted the Rules of Procedure, as published, for the 2023/24 Municipal year, with an amendment to Part 2b, relating to Independent co-opted members, which added a third paragraph:

“When the Panel Chair or Deputy Chair is an Independent co-opted member whose term of office is due to expire whilst they are serving as Chair or Deputy Chair, the Panel may if they wish, irrespective of how many terms of office they have served, and without reference to a Recruitment Panel, extend that term of office for a further three-year term”.

2          The Head of Democratic Services and Governance be given authority to make changes to the Rules of Procedure during the year to give effect to the wishes of the Panel.

The Panel to consider how it wishes to proceed when the term of office of an independent co-opted member of the Panel comes to an end on 30  September 2023.

RESOLVED:

The Chair, Mr Evan Morris MBE be appointed to serve a further three year term as an Independent Co-opted Member. His term of office would expire on 30^th September 2026.

To consider the proposed budget for the Panel for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The Panel noted that the host Authority had yet to receive a formal grant offer from the Home Office for 2023/24.

REsolved:

The Panel’s budget for 2023/24 be approved.    

To consider the work programme.

The work programme was noted.

To receive, note and inform any future scrutiny or work programme item.

The Panel noted the papers that the Commissioner had published in advance of his Scrutiny meeting held on 9^th May.

The Chair explained that two questions had been formally submitted to the Commissioner in advance of the meeting and that these had been included in the published papers.

The Chair formally welcomed the Commissioner to the meeting. He congratulated him on extending the Chief Constable’s fixed term contract and thanked him for having updated the Panel on this in writing. The Chair noted with pleasure that the Northern Ireland Policing Board had extended the fixed term contract of Simon Byrne as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Mr Byrne was a former Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary.

The Commissioner provided the Panel with a comprehensive update on a wide range of issues, including Officer numbers, 999 and 101 call response times and the valuable role of volunteers within the Constabulary.

Panel members asked the Commissioner a range of questions. Details of questions and the Commissioner’s responses can be found on the Police and Crime Panel page of the Cheshire East Council website - Cheshire-police-and-crime-panel/questions-from-june-2023.pdf