Agenda item

To give consideration to the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee.

 

Consideration was given to the recommendations of Corporate Policy Committee on 30 November 2023 in relation to the Review of the Committee System and Medium-Term Financial Strategy savings.

 

The recommendations were proposed and seconded.  The Mayor announced that he intended to take the vote on recommendations 1-3 and 5-6 together, with a separate vote on recommendation 4.

 

Recommendations 1-3 and 5-6 were put to the vote and declared carried.

 

During the debate on recommendation 4 an amendment was proposed and seconded.

 

Amendment 1

“That recommendation 4 be amended to read “the functions of the Scrutiny Committee, Audit and Governance Committee and any other committee, sub-committee, panel or working group are reviewed to consider opportunities for streamlining and efficacy of delivery.  The outcome of the review is presented to an all-member briefing in February 2024 and presented to Council as set out in recommendation 5.”

 

The proposer and seconder of the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee to Council agreed to accept the amendment and therefore the amendment became the substantive motion.

 

During debate on the substantive motion an amendment was proposed and seconded.

 

Amendment 2

“It is proposed that the following recommendations are adopted, subject to due process, to be overseen by the Corporate Policy Committee; 

Committees will be either removed, modified or amalgamated and their functions re-distributed to alternative committees in a logical extension of the related functions of those alternative receiving committees. 

 

A1) Cared for Children and Care Leavers Committee: to be amalgamated into the Children and Families Committee.

 

A.2.) Governor Nomination Panel: to be amalgamated into the Children’s and Families Committee

 

A.3.) General Appeals Sub-Committee: The roles and responsibilities of this Sub Committee (as identified below), will be disaggregated and allocated to be heard by the relevant service committees as and when required:

 

• hearing and determining appeals lodged under the various Marriage and Civil Partnership Acts;

CORPORATE POLICY COMMITTEE

• hearing and determining any appeals lodged with the Council for determination, as authorised under all relevant education legislation, excluding those duties falling to the Independent Appeals Panel (school admissions and exclusions).

CHILDREN & FAMILIES COMMITTEE

• hearing and determining any appeals lodged with the Council in respect of school transport or school organisation;

CHILDREN & FAMILIES COMMITTEE

• hearing and determining appeals from bus contractors in accordance with contract procedures;

HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

• hearing and determining any appeals lodged with the Council as Social Services Authority, and as authorised under all relevant social services legislation;

ADULTS & HEALTH COMMITTEE

• hearing and determining any other appeals (other than staffing matters). 

COMMITTEE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MONITORING OFFICER AS APPROPRIATE.

 

A.4.) General Licensing Sub-Committee and Licensing Act Sub-Committee:

These will be amalgamated into a single Committee reflecting the intermittent nature of their requirements.

In addition, the new “General Licensing and Licensing Act Sub-Committee” will be scheduled either before or after the Licensing Committee wherever possible.

This will maximise best use of officer and member time and reduce the chronic difficulties currently experienced in terms of member availability from the recruitment ’pool’.

 

A.5.) Where appropriate, only the regulatory or statutory Officers (as required by good practice) need attend committee meetings. Other officer attendance is to be rationalised and mitigated by their virtual attendance at meetings if needed.”

 

The proposer and seconder of the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee to Council agreed to accept the amendment and therefore the amendment became part of the substantive motion. 

 

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

 

RESOLVED:  That

 

1          Council note its agreed MTFS saving of £135,000 to reduce the costs of democracy.

 

2          the Finance Sub-Committee be retained as a Sub-Committee of the Corporate Policy Committee.

 

3          the three Place service committees be retained.

 

4          the functions of the Scrutiny Committee, Audit and Governance Committee and any other committee, sub-committee, panel or working group are reviewed to consider opportunities for streamlining and efficacy of delivery.  The outcome of the review is presented to an all-member briefing in February 2024 and presented to Council as set out in recommendation 5.  The following recommendations be adopted, subject to due process, to be overseen by the Corporate Policy Committee, committeeswill be either removed, modified or amalgamated and their functions re-distributed to alternative committees in a logical extension of the related functions of those alternative receiving committees. 

 

A1) Cared for Children and Care Leavers Committee: to be amalgamated into the Children and Families Committee.

 

A.2.) Governor Nomination Panel: to be amalgamated into the Children’s and Families Committee

 

A.3.) General Appeals Sub-Committee: The roles and responsibilities of this Sub Committee (as identified below), will be disaggregated and allocated to be heard by the relevant service committees as and when required:

 

CORPORATE POLICY COMMITTEE

 

CHILDREN & FAMILIES COMMITTEE

 

CHILDREN & FAMILIES COMMITTEE

 

HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

 

ADULTS & HEALTH COMMITTEE

 

COMMITTEE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MONITORING OFFICER AS APPROPRIATE.

 

A.4.) General Licensing Sub-Committee and Licensing Act Sub-Committee:

These will be amalgamated into a single Committee reflecting the intermittent nature of their requirements.

In addition, the new “General Licensing and Licensing Act Sub-Committee” will be scheduled either before or after the Licensing Committee wherever possible.

This will maximise best use of officer and member time and reduce the chronic difficulties currently experienced in terms of member availability from the recruitment ’pool’.

 

A.5.) Where appropriate, only the regulatory or statutory Officers (as required by good practice) need attend committee meetings. Other officer attendance is to be rationalised and mitigated by their virtual attendance at meetings if needed

 

5          a further annual review of the committee system be undertaken and a report on its findings be presented to the first scheduled meeting held after the Council AGM in 2024; and

 

6          the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make such consequential changes to the Council’s Constitution as he deems necessary to give effect to the decision(s) of Council.