Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

            The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th November 2006.

            Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th November 2006, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

            No public questions were asked under Standing Order 28.   

The Director of Law and Democratic Services submitted a report concerning proposed changes to Committee membership and to Council representation on other bodies for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2007/08.

The Chair advised that the Conservative Group no longer wished to change its representation on the Financial Planning Advisory Group, as had been referred to in the report.

Resolved – That, further to Minute 14(2) of the Council, and having carried out a review under Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Council shall continue to apply the political balance provisions under the Act; and

·        Councillor Doreen Dart be appointed to replace Councillor Stephanie Exell on the Corporate Parenting Advisory Board;

·        Councillor Doreen Dart be appointed to replace Councillor Colin Lovell on the Equalities Advisory Forum, and Councillor Colin Lovell be appointed as a deputy on the Forum.

·        Councillor Steve Allsopp be appointed to replace Councillor Maurice Fanning on the Health Scrutiny Committee; and

·        It be noted that the Labour Group do not wish to make a nomination to serve on the Archaeological Advisory Body of the Swindon Development Trust and that Councillor Martin Wiltshire be appointed to serve on that Advisory Body.

The Director of Law and Democratic Services submitted a report concerning proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution for 2007/08 to (a) ensure that the Constitution reflected decisions of the Council’s Cabinet concerning Business Transformation and the Council’s Management Structure, Joint Appointments Procedure, and Governance arrangements for the Capita Incremental Strategic Partnership and for Swindon Commercial Services, and (b) enable further consideration of a recommendation by the Cabinet to the Council on 19th April 2007, where the Leader of the Council had agreed to withdraw the proposal from consideration at that time to enable further consideration to be given to it. The proposal was to ensure that the Constitution reflects and formalises current custom and practice with regard to Cabinet Member Advisory Groups.

The Director of Law and Democratic Services circulated at the meeting a revised Appendix setting out Part 7 of the Constitution – The Council’s Management Structure – which had been revised from the version published with the Agenda papers to record minor amendments to a Group Director and certain Director titles.

Councillor Des Moffatt requested that the concern of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Group members of the Committee at the proposals for Cabinet Member Advisory Groups be recorded.

Resolved – (1) That the Council’s Constitution for 2007/08 be amended by:

(a) The inclusion in Article 7 (The Cabinet) of the following additional paragraph –

            “7.07 Cabinet Member Advisory Groups

“The Leader and/or a Member of the Cabinet may from time to time appoint one or more Advisory Groups with whom they may consult in the discharge of any or all of their Portfolio responsibilities.  The membership of an Advisory Group may include members and officers.  The Cabinet Member shall have sole discretion to determine the membership of an Advisory Group, including whether members are drawn from one or more political groups on the Council.  The Cabinet Member or his/her nominee shall chair an Advisory Group.  Such bodies shall be informal non decision-making bodies and shall not exercise executive power and shall not constitute a sub-committee of the Cabinet.  The Cabinet Member shall determine whether the public or other members of the Council shall be allowed to attend a meeting of an Advisory Group, or be on the circulation list for papers prepared for an Advisory Group.  The Cabinet Member shall notify the Monitoring Officer if an Advisory Group is established and of its membership.  The Monitoring Officer shall maintain a register of such Advisory Groups, which shall be open to public inspection.”

(b) The inclusion in Article 8 (Regulatory and Other Committees) of the following additional paragraph to reflect the decision of Cabinet on 6^th June 2007 concerning the Joint Executive Appointments Procedure (Minute 21 of the Cabinet refers) -

”Joint Selection and Appointment Committee

The Committee is a Joint Committee with Swindon Primary Care Trust (PCT), set up under Section 75 of the Health Act 2006 and associated regulations, to act as a selection and appointments panel to make joint appointments to officer posts  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.