Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that, in accordance with governance procedure rule 2.7, 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 Councillor J P Findlow (Cheshire East Council), Martyn Delaney (Cheshire West and Chester Council) and Robert Bisset (Cheshire West and      Chester Council).

Oral item.

Noting that the Recruitment Panel appointed at the meeting on 3 February had    yet to complete its work, the Panel agreed to formally extend the terms of office of the two remaining independent members until such time as the work of the Recruitment Panel was complete and a report was made to the Panel, which      formally reappointed independent members.

RESOLVED

That the terms of office of Mr Robert Fousert and Mrs Sally Hardwick be formally extended until such a time as the Recruitment Panel had made recommendations to the Police and Crime Panel over the terms of office of independent members and had formally reappointed independent members.

Councillor Howard Murray (Cheshire East Council) was elected as Chairman for the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

Mr Robert Fousert (independent member) was appointed as Deputy Chairman for the 2017/18 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.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2017 were submitted.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2017 be approved as a correct record.

To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with governance procedure rule 14.  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.

Members of the public may speak on any matter relating to the work of the Panel. During public speaking time, members of the public may ask questions of the Panel and the Chairman, in responding to the question, may answer the question, may decline to do so, may agree to reply at a later date or may refer the question to an appropriate person or body.

Questions will be asked and answered without discussion.  In order for officers to undertake any background research, members of the public who wish to ask a question at a Panel meeting should submit the question at least a day before the meeting.

Members of the public are able to put questions direct to Cheshire’s Police and Crime Panel via social media platform Twitter.

The Cheshire Police and Crime Panels’ Twitter account @CheshirePCP

Mr Lance Reah, a military veterans’ peer mentor, who worked with ex servicemen who had become involved with he criminal justice introduced himself. He explained that he was attending the meeting to gain a better understanding of the work of the Panel. Mr Reah was welcomed to the meeting by the Chairman.

        To consider a report regarding the membership of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel for the 2017-18 Municipal Year.

The Panel received a report on the membership of the Police and Crime Panel    for the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

Councillor Dawson noted that the current Panel membership did not reflect the Council of Europe guidance as to gender balance, which suggested that at least 40 per cent of members on public bodies should be women.  There was recognition from members of the Panel that such a balance would be desirable, but it was noted that this was made more difficult in the case of a body such as the Police and Crime Panel where the majority of members were appointed by constituent Councils. Councillor Dawson asked that members go back to their Councils and ask that the gender of those appointed to the Panel is considered in future years.

RESOLVED

That the membership of the Panel be noted.

To consider a report updating the Panel on the appointment of an Independent Member.

Consideration was given to a report which updated the Panel on the progress   that had been made with the appointment to the vacant position of independent    member. Councillors Dawson and King (the two Councillor members of the Recruitment Panel) noted that good progress had been made, but that the calling of a General Election had caused a delay in the Recruitment panel’s work. Interviews would be held on Friday 30 June, following which members of the Police and Crime Panel would           be updated.

        RESOLVED

The Panel noted the progress made with the appointment of a new member to replace Mr Eric Hodgson.

To consider amendments to and adoption of the Rules of Procedure.

The Panel reviewed and adopted its Rules of procedure each year, it was noted that following the transfer of administrative responsibility for the Panel to Cheshire East Council in the summer of 2016, a major review of the Panel’s Rules of Procedure had been undertaken. These had been approved by the Panel at its meeting on 23 September 2016.

         The documents considered by the Panel contained a small number of minor amendments, incorporating changes agreed by the Panel since September 2016, together with small number of typographic corrections.

        Councillor Dawson asked if the Panel could have access to the Complaints  Procedure issued by the Host Authority’s Monitoring Officer and referred to in paragraph 12.8.2. of the draft Rules of Procedure.

RESOLVED

        (i)     That the Panel Arrangements; Rules of Procedure be adopted for the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

        (ii)    That  the Complaints  Procedure issued by the Host Authority’s Monitoring Officer be circulated to members of the Panel in advance of the September meeting.

To consider and approve the budget for the Panel for the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

The Panel noted that a working outline budget had been developed for the 2017/18 Municipal Year and that this would provide a mechanism to enable Government Grant to be claimed at the end of the year.

RESOLVED

That the budget for the 2017/18 Municipal Year be approved.

To agree dates for the informal meetings of the Panel for 2017/18.

Suggested dates are as follows:-

2 August 2017

1 November 2017

10 January 2018

7 March 2018

All between 2-4pm, at Cheshire Constabulary HQ, Winsford

Consideration was given to the dates of informal meetings of the Panel for 2017/18. Councillor Thompson asked if some meetings could be held in the evening, noting that it was not always easy for Panel members who worked to take time off.  The Panel were supportive of this suggestion.

RESOLVED

(i)              That informal meetings be held on:

                              2 August 2017

                              1 November 2017

                              10 January 2018

                              7 March 2018

(ii)             That the Police and Crime Commissioner be approached with a view to the August and March meetings being held in the evening.

To agree representation at the Sixth National Conference for Police and Crime Panels.

Consideration was given to attendance at the sixth annual Conference for Police and Crime Panels being held in Warwick on Monday 6 November 2017.

RESOLVED

That the Deputy Chairman represents the Panel at the Sixth Annual Conference for Police and Crime Panels.

         The Commissioner provided the Panel with an update on the Cheshire Constabulary’s response to the recent terrorist attacks. He noted that following the attack in Manchester on 22 May 2017 the national threat level had been raised to Critical for a short time; before returning to it current level of Severe.

        In the days after the attack in Manchester there had been a number of high profile events in Cheshire, including a race meeting in Chester and a number of rugby matches.  Additional resources had been deployed and feedback from the public was that they had been reassured by the higher profile Police presence. Assistance had also been provided to Greater Manchester Police and there had been a joint firearms response with the North Wales Police.

        The Commissioner reassured the Panel that events across Cheshire over the summer would be risk assessed as necessary.

        The Commissioner confirmed that a number of Decision Papers had been circulated following the last meeting of the Panel; these related to the appointment of a Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner and the relocation of his office to Stockton Heath.

        Councillor Steve Egdar sought clarification over how many staff from Winsford had been made redundant as a result of the move to the Commissioner’s Office to Stockton Heath. The Commissioner indicated that there had been no redundancies attributable to the office relocation.

        Councillor Andrew Dawson asked the Commissioner if there were any additional papers related to either the appointment of the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner or the relocation of the Commissioner’s Office to Stockton Heath. The Commissioner indicated that the papers that he had circulated had been comprehensive and provided detailed business cases. He noted that the papers provided did make reference to other documents that were already in the public domain.

        Councillor Dawson sought further clarification over the appointment of the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, asking that if the Commissioner had declared his long standing association with former Councillor Dirrir as part of the recruitment process, this information was not included in the Decision paper that had been circulated. 

        The Commissioner responded by saying that he had followed due process and had been full and open at all stages of the recruitment process for a Deputy Commissioner and had declared his long standing association with Ms Dirrir. He stated that in his opinion he had gone well beyond the legal requirements when appointing his Deputy. He informed the Panel that the Deputy Commissioner was now in post as was doing an excellent job, especially in areas such as diversity and working with volunteers. Councillor Dawson noted that his own definition of “full and open” appeared to be different to the Commissioner’s.

        The Chairman invited the Commissioner to consider bringing important issues  to the Panel in advance of decisions being taken, noting that this invitation  had been made on a number of occasions in the past. The Commissioner noted that since the previous meeting of the Council he had improved communication with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

To consider the Work Programme.

The work programme was noted.

Councillor Sally Hardwick suggested that the Panel send it’s thanks to Mr Mark Sellwood, former Chief Executive of both the Police Authority and the Commissioner’s Office. The Panel supported this proposal and the Chairman agreed to draft a letter to send to Mr Sellwood.

RESOLVED

        That the Chairman writes to Mr Mark Sellwood thanking him for his excellent work in supporting policing in Cheshire over many years.

        Councillor Amanda King suggested that the Panel formally recognise the outstanding contribution of the emergency services following the recent terrorist outrage in Manchester, noting that a serving Cheshire Police Officer had lost her life and another victim had attended a Cheshire School. The Panel were supportive of this suggestion.

RESOLVED

That the Panel put on record its appreciation of the work of the Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Ambulance Service and Health professionals following the terrorist outrage in Manchester on 22 May 2017.

         The meeting noted that a Confirmation Hearing for the position of Chief of  Staff of the Commissioners office would be held on Wednesday 12 July, starting at 6.30pm at Wyvern House, Winsford. 

22 September 2017, at 10am.

The next meeting of the Panel would be on Friday 22 September 2017, starting at 10.00am