To make appointments to the committees of the Council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality.

Please note that the Council will be asked under this item to approve alternative arrangements to strict political proportionality for appointments to Committees and other bodies in accordance with Regulation 20 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

(A dispensation had been granted to those councillors seeking election to posts carrying a special responsibility allowance so permitting them to remain in the meeting for this item’s consideration.)

Council considered appointments to the committees of the council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality.

The Assistant Director, Governance presented the report.  He commented that following discussion with group leaders it was suggested that recommendations a-e as printed in the agenda papers giving effect to political proportionality, about which there was consensus, should be considered and voted upon as a whole. He proposed that a separate vote should then be taken on recommendation f which provided for the suspension of the rules of proportionality for a number of specified bodies. Discussion of appointments to the positions of chairmen and vice-chairmen for which several nominations were expected could then be considered.

A member requested that consideration was given to ways of providing all members with access to information on the meetings and important decisions of outside organisations to which appointments were to be made.  The leader of the council indicated that he supported this request.

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor RJ Phillips seconded a motion that recommendations a-e as printed in the agenda papers be approved.

This motion was carried with no one voting against it.

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor A Seldon seconded a motion that recommendation f as printed in the agenda papers be approved.

This motion was carried with no one voting against it.

Council agreed that appointments to the positions of chairmen and vice-chairmen would be determined by named vote where there was more than one nomination for the position. 

The consideration of each appointment was as follows:

Chairman of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor AW Johnson proposed and Councillor P Rone seconded the nomination of Councillor WLS Bowen.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor JG Lester seconded the nomination of Councillor MJK Cooper. 

Councillor AJW Powers proposed and Councillor A Seldon seconded the nomination of Councillor EPJ Harvey.

A named vote was held.

For Councillor Cooper (35): Councillors PA Andrews, BA Baker, WLS Bowen, H Bramer, CR Butler, PGH Cutter, BA Durkin, CA Gandy, DW Greenow, KS Guthrie, J Hardwick, DG Harlow, EL Holton, JA Hyde, TM James, AW Johnson, JF Johnson, JG Lester, RI Matthews, RL Mayo, PJ McCaull, MT McEvilly, PM Morgan, PD Newman, RJ Phillips, GJ Powell, PD Price, P Rone, AR Round, NE Shaw, WC Skelton, J Stone, EJ Swinglehurst, DB Wilcox and SD Williams.

For Councillor Harvey (14): Councillors JM Bartlett, TL Bowes, ACR Chappell, PJ Edwards, MD Lloyd-Hayes, MN Mansell, SM Michael, FM Norman, CA North, AJW Powers, A Seldon, D Summers, LC Tawn, A Warmington.

Abstentions (2) Councillors MJK Cooper and EPJ Harvey.

Councillor Cooper was therefore appointed.

Chairman of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor JG Lester proposed and Councillor PM Morgan seconded the nomination of Councillor PA Andrews.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor RJ Phillips proposed and Councillor P Rone seconded the nomination of Councillor J Stone.

Councillor AJW Powers proposed and Councillor FM Norman seconded the nomination of Councillor ACR Chappell.

Councillor Powers questioned whether, as a matter of principle, it was appropriate for members of the controlling political group to hold the office of chairman or vice-chairman on either of the overview and scrutiny committees, suggesting this deviated from national guidance and previous practice.

Councillor Phillips commented in reply that the chairmanships of the two committees were not held by the controlling political group

Councillor Phillips and Councillor Powers spoke respectively on the qualities of their nominees.

A named vote was held.

For Councillor Chappell (17): Councillors JM Bartlett, TL Bowes, PJ Edwards, J Hardwick, EPJ Harvey, MD Lloyd-Hayes, MN Mansell, RI Matthews, SM Michael, FM Norman, CA North, AJW Powers, AR Round, A Seldon, D Summers, LC Tawn, A Warmington.

For Councillor Stone (31): Councillors PA Andrews, BA Baker, WLS Bowen, H Bramer, CR Butler, MJK Cooper, PGH Cutter, BA Durkin, CA Gandy, DW Greenow, KS Guthrie, DG Harlow, EL Holton, JA Hyde, TM James, AW Johnson, JF Johnson, JG Lester, RL Mayo, MT McEvilly, PM Morgan, PD Newman, RJ Phillips, GJ Powell, PD Price, P Rone, NE Shaw, WC Skelton, EJ Swinglehurst, DB Wilcox and SD Williams.

Abstentions (3) Councillors ACR Chappell, PJ McCaull and J Stone.

Councillor Stone was therefore appointed.

Chairman of the Planning Committee

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor JG Lester seconded the nomination of Councillor PGH Cutter.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the Planning Committee

Councillor FM Norman proposed and Councillor AW Johnson seconded the nomination of Councillor J Hardwick.

There were no other nominations.

Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor AW Johnson seconded the nomination of Councillor BA Durkin.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee

Councillor JM Bartlett proposed and Councillor A Seldon seconded the nomination of Councillor FM Norman.

There were no other nominations.

Chairman of the Regulatory Committee

Councillor AW Johnson proposed and Councillor PM Morgan seconded the nomination of Councillor DW Greenow.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the Regulatory Committee

Councillor AW Johnson proposed and Councillor PM Morgan seconded the nomination of Councillor MD Lloyd-Hayes.

There were no other nominations.

Chairman of the Employment Panel

Councillor P Rone proposed and Councillor GJ Powell seconded the nomination of Councillor AW Johnson.

There were no other nominations.

Vice-Chairman of the Employment Panel

Councillor JG Lester proposed and Councillor RJ Phillips seconded the nomination of Councillor PM Morgan.

There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED:

That    (a)        the list of ordinary committees listed at paragraph 8 of the report be confirmed with their current terms of reference;

            (b)        the number of seats on each committee and the allocation of those seats to political groups as set out at appendix 2 to the report be approved;

            (c)        the allocation of seats on outside bodies to political groups as set out at appendix 3 to the report be approved;

            (d)        it be noted that all other representation on outside bodies be decided by the chief executive, following consultation with the group leaders, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution;

(e)        the appointment of five co-opted members of general overview & scrutiny committee be approved as follows:

·        one representative as nominated by the diocese of Hereford

·        one representative as nominated by the archdiocese of Cardiff

·        one parent governor as elected from the primary school sector

·        one parent governor as elected by the secondary school sector

·        one parent governor as elected by the special school sector;

            (f)         the suspension of the rules of proportionality in respect of the regulatory sub-committee, the River Lugg Internal Drainage Board, the Wye Valley AONB Joint Advisory Committee and the Buchannan Trust, be approved; and

(g)        the appointment of committee chairmen and vice chairmen as set out below be approved: