Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 6^th September 2006 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no items of urgent business.

No declarations were made.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive enabling the Committee to consider proposals for the establishment of a Community Engagement Scrutiny Committee. A copy of the report, marked ‘B’, is filed with these minutes.

 

It was moved by Mr Parsons and seconded by Mr Rushton.

 

“That the County Council be recommended to agree as follows:-

 

‘(a)   That approval be given to the establishment of a Community Engagement Scrutiny Committee with the following terms of reference and that Table A in Schedule 3 to the Articles of the Constitution be amended accordingly:-

 

“1.     To provide a point of reference for considering the role of the elected member as champion of the local community and make recommendations as to good practice.

 

2.      To review and scrutinise the development of the neighbourhood engagement policy.

 

3.      To review and scrutinise the implementation and operation of community forums and other proposals for empowering local communities, including the County Council’s relationship with district, parish and town councils.

 

4.      To review and scrutinise the development of policies and procedures to ensure a flexible response to local needs of citizens and communities, including improved access for citizens to the County Council’s decision making and scrutiny processes.”

 

(b)       That the process for nominations for Chairmanships of Standing Committees contained in the Schedule to the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules be amended to read as follows:-

 

                  ‘Standing committees

 

1.         The nominations for the Chairmanships of Overview and Scrutiny Committees will be made in accordance with the following procedure.

 

2.         The chairmanship of the Scrutiny Commission will be held ex officio by the Leader of the largest Opposition group and, accordingly, is outside the procedure which follows.

 

 

3.         Where the number is even, half of the remaining chairmanships will be held by Administration group(s) and half by Opposition group(s).  Where the number is odd, the Administration group(s) will hold one more chairmanship than the Opposition group(s). 

 

4.            Subject to paragraph(g) below, the remaining chairmanships will be claimed as follows:-

 

(a)         Claiming a chairmanship includes selecting any one of the chairmanships which remain unfilled at the point at which the claim is made and naming the elected member who will be nominated to the County Council to hold that chairmanship.

 

(b)         Where there are two or more Opposition groups, only a group which has at least five members will be eligible to participate in this process.

(c)         Where there is a Joint Administration it is assumed that the political groups forming that Joint Administration will have agreed how they are to share between themselves the chairmanships claimed by the “Administration”.

 

(d)         The Opposition and Administration groups will claim chairmanships in the following order:

 

1. Administration

2. Opposition

3. Administration

4. Opposition

    and so on

 

(e)         Where there are two eligible Opposition groups, the first Opposition claim will be exercised by the smaller group and the second Opposition claim (the third claim in order) by the larger group.  Where there are two opposition groups with an equal number of seats, unless agreement is reached otherwise, the order will be determined by the toss of a coin.

 

(f)           Where the number of standing overview and scrutiny committees is increased beyond four, any additional chairmanships will be claimed by extending the rotation in paragraph (d) above.’ ”

 

The motion was put and carried, three members voting for the motion and two against.

 

(Dr. M. O’ Callaghan CC and Mr. R Wilson CC asked that their names be recorded as having voted against the motion.)