Agenda item

This report sets out the requirements placed on Full Council for the appointment of Members to its Committees and Panels, and the appointment of their Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen.

All Political Group Leaders are responsible for nominating Members from within their respective Groups to each of the Committees, in accordance with political balance as appropriate. Full Council will appoint the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Committees.

Members considered a report setting out the requirements placed on Full Council for the appointment of Members to its Committees and Panel, and the appointment of their Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen.

All political group leaders were responsible for nominating members from within their respective groups to each of the Committees/Panels, in accordance with the political proportionality of the Authority as appropriate. Full Council had responsibility for appointing Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees.

Members raised the following points during debate:

·         Additional Overview and Scrutiny committees had been suggested to scrutinise issues such as Housing and Environment in further detail. It also had the purpose of ensuring that decision making was better informed and that the administration was held to account.

·         The number of committee seats had been increased to allow for a greater swell of opinion, and to be more inclusive to a Council that included a number of different political groupings.

·         Concern was raised that the two new Overview and Scrutiny Chairman and Vice-Chairman positions that had been proposed would lead to increased costs to the Council in the form of more special responsibility allowances; it was highlighted that this money could be spent elsewhere.

·         The Scrutiny Review that had taken place in the previous year had recommended that the Council should move to three, but ideally two Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The proposal to add in new Overview and Scrutiny Committees to the structure had not been considered by Governance and Audit Committee.

·         The addition of two new Scrutiny Committees reverted the Council back to a position that it already had in place prior to the election in May 2023; the new structure agreed in March 2023 had led to the loss of the Constitution Committee, Companies Committee and one Overview and Scrutiny Committee. With Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Standards Committee being added into the structure, this would mean a status quo in the number of committees.

·         Mandatory training would be provided for those on regulatory committees, and there would be specific training for Overview and Scrutiny Committees. There would also be training for committee Chairmen, as well as a range of other sessions.

·         Clarity on the opposition group Leader’s special responsibility allowance would be sought from the Governance and Audit Committee. Many of the political group leaders were either Chairmen of committees, or members of the Cabinet and therefore would not be able to claim this smaller, second special responsibility allowance.

Nominations were proposed by the Deputy Leader of the Council and the Leader of the South Kesteven Coalition Group for Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees. These nominations were duly seconded.

The remaining recommendations within the report were proposed and seconded; a variation to the wording of both recommendations 3 and 6 was agreed, rather than the printed recommendation. Upon being put to the vote the following was AGREED.

DECISION:

That Full Council:

1.    Notes the revised political proportionality of the Council.

2.    Approves the Council’s committee structure, including confirmation of the size of Committees and Panels and the changes to terms of reference contained within Appendix 3 of the report. The committees of Council included:

·         Planning Committee

·         Governance and Audit Committee

·         Employment Committee

·         Licensing Committee & Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Committee

·         Standards Committee

·         Finance and Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Rural and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Culture and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Chief Executive’s Appeals Panel

3.    Delegates to political group Leaders the responsibility to appoint Members to its Committees and Panels, taking account of the requirements for political balance. The Chief Executive will be notified of the nominations as soon as practicable.

4.    Approves the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees as follows:

·         Planning Committee - Cllr Bellamy (C), Cllr Morgan (VC)

·         Governance and Audit Committee - Cllr Harrison (C), Cllr Paul Wood (VC)

·         Employment Committee - Cllr Kelly (C), Cllr Byrd (VC)

·         Licensing Committee - Cllr Bosworth (C), Cllr Stooke (VC)

·         Standards Committee - Cllr Bisnauthsing (C), Cllr Trotter (VC)

·         Finance and Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Cllr Whittington (C), Cllr Ley (VC)

·         Rural and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Cllr Manterfield (C), Cllr Cunnington (VC)

·         Culture and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Cllr Fellows (C), Cllr Denniston (VC)

·         Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Cllr Moran (C), Cllr Steptoe (VC)

·         Environment Overview and Scrutiny - Cllr Selby (C), Cllr Emma Baker (VC)

5.    Approves the rate of Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chairman of the Standards Committee as £2,757 per annum and the Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee as £912 per annum on an interim basis and notes that the Independent Remuneration Panel will undertake a mini-review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme in the coming months.

6.    Refers the issue of the Opposition Group Leaders’ Special Responsibility Allowance to the Governance and Audit Committee for its consideration.