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 Sam Naylor (Cheshire West and Chester) and Norman Plumpton Walsh (Halton).

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.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Judy Snowball be elected as Chair of the Police and Crime Panel.

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.

Mrs Lynn Riley, a former Panel member, addressed the Panel paying tribute to Mr Evan Morris MBE, who had resigned from the Panel in August. She urged the Panel to reconsider the decision not to allow Mr Morris to take back his resignation.

In response to Mrs Riley’s comments, Ms Janet Witkowski, Cheshire East Council’s interim Monitoring Officer and the Panel’s legal advisor, explained that she had provided the Panel with privileged legal advice in relation the resignation of Mr Morris from his position as an independent co-opted Panel member. She was limited by what she could say in a public forum but confirmed that the resignation had been properly submitted and once submitted had taken immediate effect.

To approve the minutes of the meetings held on Friday 19 July 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meetings held on 19 July 2024 be approved.

To appoint a Recruitment Panel to take forward the recruitment process for the Independent Co-opted Member.

Mr Brian Reed outlined the process that would need to be followed to fill the vacant position of independent co-opted Panel member following the resignation in August of Mr Evan Morris MBE.

A number of Panel members suggested that a learning point from the resignation of Mr Morris was that the Panel’s Procedure Rules should be amended to provide greater clarity on how the resignation of independent co-opted Panel members should be managed in future.

RESOLVED:

That a five-member Recruitment Panel be created to take forward the recruitment of an independent co-opted Panel member, with the Recruitment Panel making a recommendation to a future Panel meeting as to who should be appointed. The Secretariat were empowered to consult with Panel members to agree the membership of the Recruitment Panel.

To consider the programme of meetings and work programme.

The programme of formal meetings for the coming municipal year was noted. Panel members were asked to let the Secretariat know of any issues that they would wish to discuss at either formal meetings of the Panel or at informal meetings held with the Commissioner. The Secretariat were asked to liaise with the Commissioner’s Office to set up a series of informal meetings.

The Panel noted that four written questions had been submitted to the Commissioner in advance of the meeting.   

The Chair welcomed the Commissioner to the meeting.

The Commissioner congratulated Cllr Judy Snowball on her appointment as the Panel’s Chair, he also paid tribute to the contribution that Mr Evan Morris MBE had made as both a Panel member and Chair.

The Commissioner noted that he had been privileged to attend the National Police Memorial Day in Glasgow and paid tribute to the sacrifice of those who had died in the line of duty. He updated the Panel on a range of issues, including his scrutiny of the Chief Constable, a ministerial visit from Lord Hanson (Minister of State at the Home Office), and an update on the use he would be making of citizen assemblies, an issue that he had briefed the Panel on at the previous meeting.

In addition to the four pre-submitted questions, Panel members asked the Commissioner a range of further questions. Details of all questions asked of the Commissioner and his responses can be found on the Police and Crime Panel page of the Cheshire East Council website.