Agenda item

Political Balance of the Council and Allocation and Appointment to Seats on Committees and Boards

To receive a report on the political balance of the Council and to appoint to Council Committees/Panels/Boards in accordance with the Groups’ wishes as set out in Appendix 1.

 

Further information relating to nominations will be circulated before or at the meeting.

 

RECOMMENDATION That Council:

 

1)        having reviewed the representation of the political groups on the Council, confirms that it has 31 Conservative Group Members, 16 Liberal Democrat Group Members, 4 Labour Group Members and 3 Independent Group Members (as set out in Para 1.1);

2)        approves the appointment and composition of Committees and Boards as set out in Para 2.1;

3)        approves the allocation of seats on Committees and Boards on the basis that, of the 92 seats (as set out in Para 3.6), 53 be allocated to the Conservative Group 27 be allocated to the Liberal Democrat Group, 7 be allocated to the Labour Group and 5 be allocated to the Independent Group;

4)        approves the proposals submitted by the respective Group Leaders and that those Members be appointed to the Committees and Boards as set out in Appendix 1;

5)        agree that the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of those Council Committees etc, set out in Appendix 1 be appointed at the first meeting of each of the Committees etc and therefore Rule 4.2.1.1u) of the Constitution be deleted;

6)        agrees that the principles of proportionality be applied when Members are appointed to Sub Committees, Panels or Working Groups;

7)        notes the appointment of the Independent Persons to assist the work of the Standards Committee and the co-opted Parish/Town Council Representatives as set out in Appendix 1;

8)        notes the elected Member representatives on the Wokingham Borough Wellbeing Board, as set out in Appendix 1, as nominated by the Leader of Council in accordance with Section 194 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Minutes:

The Council considered a report on the political balance of the Council and the appointment to the Council’s Committees and Boards, in accordance with the wishes of Groups.

 

The report set out a number of recommendations which Members were asked to consider.

 

It was proposed by John Halsall and seconded by John Kaiser that the recommendations set out within the report be agreed.

 

Andy Croy expressed disappointment regarding how the appointments to the Royal Fire and Rescue Service had been apportioned.

 

It was moved by Ian Pittock and seconded by Lindsay Ferris that the Motion be amended as follows:

 

That Council:

1)        having reviewed the representation of the political groups on the Council, confirms that it has 31 Conservative Group Members, 16 Liberal Democrat Group Members, 4 Labour Group Members and 3 Independent Group Members (as set out in Para 1.1);

2)        approves the appointment and composition of Committees and Boards as set out in Para 2.1;

3)        approves the allocation of seats on Committees and Boards on the basis that, of the 92 seats (as set out in Para 3.6), 53 be allocated to the Conservative Group 27 be allocated to the Liberal Democrat Group, 7 be allocated to the Labour Group and 5 be allocated to the Independent Group;

4)        approves the proposals submitted by the respective Group Leaders and that those Members be appointed to the Committees and Boards as set out in

Appendix 1;

5)        agree that the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of those Council Committees etc, set out in Appendix 1 be appointed at the first meeting of each of the Committees etc and therefore Rule 4.2.1.1u) of the Constitution be deleted and that the votes for Chair and Vice Chair of all Overview and Scrutiny Committees be conducted by secret ballot, in line with what is suggested in the document "Statutory Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local and Combined Authorities" published earlier this month by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government;

6)        agrees that the principles of proportionality be applied when Members are appointed to Sub Committees, Panels or Working Groups;

7)        notes the appointment of the Independent Persons to assist the work of the Standards Committee and the co-opted Parish/Town Council Representatives as set out in Appendix 1;

8)        notes the elected Member representatives on the Wokingham Borough Wellbeing Board, as set out in Appendix 1, as nominated by the Leader of Council in accordance with Section 194 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.’

 

A number of Members expressed concern regarding the transparency of electing the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees by secret ballot. 

 

Prue Bray stated that a secret ballot may lead to more open voting by individuals. 

 

Lindsay Ferris stated that in many Councils the Overview and Scrutiny Committees were chaired by Opposition Councillors.

 

Chris Smith and Pauline Jorgensen proposed that the concept of the election of the Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee by secret ballot should be considered by the Constitution Review Working Group.

 

Upon being put to the vote the amendment to the Motion was lost.

 

RESOLVED:  That

 

1)        having reviewed the representation of the political groups on the Council, it be confirmed that Council has 31 Conservative Group Members, 16 Liberal Democrat Group Members, 4 Labour Group Members and 3 Independent Group Members (as set out in Para 1.1);

 

2)        the appointment and composition of Committees and Boards as set out in Para 2.1 be approved;

 

3)        the allocation of seats on Committees and Boards be approved on the basis that, of the 92 seats (as set out in Para 3.6), 53 be allocated to the Conservative Group 27 be allocated to the Liberal Democrat Group, 7 be allocated to the Labour Group and 5 be allocated to the Independent Group;

 

4)        the proposals submitted by the respective Group Leaders and that those Members be appointed to the Committees and Boards as set out in Appendix 1 be approved;

 

5)        it be agreed that the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of those Council Committees etc, set out in Appendix 1 be appointed at the first meeting of each of the Committees etc and therefore Rule 4.2.1.1u) of the Constitution be deleted;

 

6)        it be agreed that the principles of proportionality be applied when Members are appointed to Sub Committees, Panels or Working Groups;

 

7)        the appointment of the Independent Persons to assist the work of the Standards Committee and the co-opted Parish/Town Council Representatives as set out in Appendix 1, be noted;

 

8)        the elected Member representatives on the Wokingham Borough Wellbeing Board, as set out in Appendix 1, as nominated by the Leader of Council in accordance with Section 194 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, be noted.

Supporting documents: