Agenda and minutes

It was moved, seconded and carried that Prof M E Preston CC be elected Chairman for the meeting.

Prof M E Preston CC – In the Chair

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2009 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 urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

All members of the Committee declared a personal non prejudicial interest in the report on Members’ Allowances (minute 26 below).

Prof M E Preston CC declared a personal non prejudicial interest in the item entitled ‘Appointment of Independent Members of the Standards Committee’ as he was a former colleague of and referee for one of the applicants (minute 28 below).

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive, the purpose of which was to present a special report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances.  A copy of the report marked ‘B’ is filed with these minutes.

With regard to the proposal that all members should produce an annual report, it was suggested that the Member Learning and Development Working Party be asked to consider how this might be applied in practice and what support could be made available to assist members.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council be recommended to approve the recommendations as set out in the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances subject to the proposed further review of allowances payable to members of Overview and Scrutiny bodies (referred to in recommendation (ii)) being carried out in twelve months time rather than the eighteen months suggested by the Panel.

It was moved by the Chairman, seconded and carried:-

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act specified below and, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information:

Item                                                                             Exempt under Paragraphs

Appointment of Independent Members                              1, 2 and 10

to the Standards Committee

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive on the process of appointing independent members to the County Council’s Standards Committee. A copy of the report marked ‘C’ is filed with these minutes. The report was not for publication by virtue of paragraphs 1, 2 and 10 of Schedule 12(A) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The three candidates were then each interviewed in turn.

RESOLVED

(a)       That the County Council be recommended to appoint Mr M J Caple and Mr H M Pearson to serve as independent members of the Standards Committee for a term of four years ending on 2 December 2013;

(b)       That officers be requested to consider increasing the number of Independent Members on the Standards Committee to three as part of the next annual review of the Constitution on the basis that this would assist succession planning.