Agenda item

To consider a report from the Legal, Governance and Democracy Lead Specialist (Monitoring Officer) on political balance, the allocation of committee places, the appointments of Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs and the Scheme of Delegation (Appendix 2 to follow).  (Nominations received from Group Leaders for Committee Memberships will be circulated prior to the meeting.)

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, Council gave consideration to the political balance of the Council and to the committees and size of committees for the forthcoming year. Prior to the commencement of the meeting, Members had been provided with a revised copy of Appendix 2 to the report (Size and Seats to be allocated to Political Groups on Committees), in addition to proposed committee memberships lists as agreed with the Group Leaders.

Members had formed into three groups for the purposes of allocating committee places. The groups and their number of Members were as follows:-

Liberal Democrats – 32 Members

Conservative – 14 Members

Labour – 3 Members

In addition, there was one Green Party Member and one Independent Member on the Council.

Members noted that paper copies of the updated Appendix 2 to the report had not been circulated prior to the meeting. The Legal, Governance and Democracy Lead Specialist (Monitoring Officer) informed Members that the updated Appendix 2 would be circulated and published alongside the agenda following the meeting.

The Legal, Governance and Democracy Lead Specialist (Monitoring Officer) to the Council asked Council to approve the list of the committee allocations, proportional to the Council membership, together with the nominations to each Committee, which were circulated to all Members before the meeting. Nominations received for Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen to each Committee were read out at the meeting. Nominations to the County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, taken from the proposed membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, had also been included.

Councillor Jonathan Brook seconded by Councillor Matt Severn, moved recommendations (1) to (7) and (9) to (12) as set out within the report.

With regard to recommendation (8) and the appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen to committees, nominations had been received from the Liberal Democrat Group, no further nominations had been received. Councillor David Webster, seconded by Councillor Matt Severn moved the nominations, as read out at the meeting, namely:-

With regard to recommendation (11), the Legal, Governance and Democracy Lead Specialist (Monitoring Officer) reminded Members of the need for four volunteers to form the Licensing Sub-Committee and a substitute. The following Members of the Licensing and Licensing Regulatory Committee volunteers to form the Sub-Committee:-

·        Cllr Hazel Hodgson;

·        Cllr Kevin Holmes;

·        Cllr Helen Irving;

·        Cllr Andrew Jarvis; and

·        Cllr David Webster.

Following a vote, it was subsequently

RESOLVED – That

(1)        the political balance of the Council, as set out in paragraph 3.2 and Appendix 1 to the report, be noted;

(2)        the committees, and Terms of Reference for those committees, as detailed in Table 2, Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution, be approved for the forthcoming municipal year;

(3)        the delegation of Council functions and Proper Officer appointments be confirms, as set out in Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution;

(4)        the size of the  committees, and the seats of each committee to political groups be approved and allocated in accordance with the table set out below:-

(5)        seats of each committee be allocated to political groups in accordance with Appendix 2 to this report;

(6)        seats on those committees which are not subject to political balance rues be allocated as set out below:-

(7)        nominations of councillors to serve on each committee, which were read out at the meeting be received;

(8)        Consideration be given to the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the committees read out to members during the meeting;

(9)        the delegation of executive functions, as confirmed by the Leader and set out in Part 3(4) of the Council’s Constitution, be noted;

(10)      Councillor Vicky Hughes be appointed as representative and Councillor Ali Jama be appointed as substitute to the Cumbria County Council’s Health and Scrutiny Committee for the forthcoming year;

(11)      it be noted that Cllr Hazel Hodgson, Cllr Kevin Holmes, Cllr Helen Irving, Cllr Andrew Jarvis and Cllr David Webster volunteered to form a Licensing  Sub-Committee ahead of the 30 May 2022 meeting; and

(12)      Councillor Ali Jama be appointed as the second Human Resources Committee member on the Joint Consultative Panel for the forthcoming year.