Agenda item

The Constitution Committee, at its meeting on 26th November 2012,  had considered a report on proposed changes to the governance arrangements of the Council, which gave effect to the decision taken at the Annual Council meeting in May 2012.The report recommended changes to the Council’s scrutiny structure and the establishment of new Policy Development Groups.

Six new Policy Development Groups would be established which would play a central role in the Council’s decision-making processes. The groups would actively involve backbench Members on a cross-party basis, giving them a key role in the formulation of policy. They would operate closely with both scrutiny committees and the Cabinet, both being informed by and informing the work of those bodies. The groups would hold some meetings in private, particularly in the initial stages, but would also meet regularly in public to ensure open accountability for their decisions.

Further details of the proposals, including Policy Development Group membership and Chairmen and Vice-chairmen, were set out in the Constitution Committee report and its appendices, which were submitted to Council. The proposed membership and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of each Scrutiny Committee were circulated at the meeting and a number of additional nominations to the Committees were also submitted. The agreed membership details are appended to these minutes.

RESOLVED

1. That the arrangements set out in the report be adopted with immediate effect;

2. That the new Policy Development Groups referred to in the report be formally established, with the terms of reference and compositions as set out in Appendices A and E of the report;

3. That the new Scrutiny Committees referred to in the report be formally established, with the terms of reference and compositions as set out in Appendices D and E of the report, and that the existing Council scrutiny structure be dissolved;

4. That the terms of reference of the Policy Development Groups and Scrutiny Committees, and the operation of the Policy Development Groups, be reviewed after six months;

5. That when a Policy Development Group meets to agree its formal recommendations to Cabinet, the meeting be held in public and be open to all Members of the Council;

6. That the membership of each Policy Development Group be noted and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of each Policy Development Group be formally appointed to those offices, as set out in Appendix E of the report;

7. That the membership of each Scrutiny Committee be noted and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of each Scrutiny Committee be formally appointed, as circulated at the meeting and appended to these minutes; and

8. That the Borough Solicitor be authorised to make such changes to the Council’s Constitution as she determines are necessary to give effect to the wishes of Council.