Agenda item

To consider report LDS/162 of the Interim Monitoring Officer.

The Committee considered report LDS/162 of the Interim Monitoring Officer.  The Democratic Services Manager introduced the report, which set out potential options for a more proportionate and sustainable system for the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs to the Council’s Committees.  This had been proposed in light of the current Joint Agreement between the two political groups.

The Committee considered it necessary to change the current approach for allocating Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs, which it deemed contentious, and adopt a clearer system.  Comments made regarding each of the options set out in the report were as follows:

Fixed Cascade Approach

·         A greater number of Chairs/Vice-Chairs would be allocated to the opposition group than by the strict proportional approach.

·         The approach allowed for greater scrutiny of the leading party and for cross-party checks on decision-making processes.

·         If the opposition party were to hold 18 seats, the allocated Chairs would give balance to the leading group’s control of the Cabinet (and likely the Mayoralty).

Strict Proportional Approach

·         The proportionality of this approach would be more representative of the electorate’s wishes (according to local election outcomes) than the fixed cascade approach.

·         The approach was identified as being used by the UK Parliament.

·         Specific Committee Chairs would not be allocated. Some Committee members felt that to be too open to ambiguity, whilst other Committee members considered it advantageous as it would enable positions to be filled by the best-suited councillors.

Councillor Crow presented the following amended version of the Fixed Cascade Approach to the Committee. 

* Non-Administration Party

Councillor Crow advocated that the amended version above would allocate Chairs/Vice-Chairs in a way that encouraged both cross-party working and scrutiny by the opposition.  It was proposed by Councillor Crow and seconded by Councillor Lanzer that the Full Council be recommended to adopt the Fixed Cascade Approach with the positions allocated as set out in the table above.

A recorded vote was then taken on the proposal in accordance with the Council’s Virtual Committee Procedure Rules.  The names of the councillors voting for and against the proposal, along with any abstentions, were recorded as follows:

For the proposal:

Councillors Burrett, Crow, Eade, Lanzer, and McCarthy (5).

Against the proposal:

Councillors Jones, Lamb, Lunnon, Malik, and Mullins (5).

Abstentions:

None (0).

As a result of the tied vote, the Chair used the casting vote to vote FOR the proposal.  There were therefore six votes for the proposal and five votes against.  The motion was therefore declared to be CARRIED.

RESOLVED

1)    That the Full Council be recommended to adopt the following Fixed Cascade Approach for the allocation of Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs.

* Non-Administration Party

2)    That the Full Council be requested to amend the Constitution to reflect the adopted protocol regarding the allocation of Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs.