Issue - meetings

Review of Committee Structure

Meeting: 24/07/2019 - Council (Item 23)

23 Review of Committee Arrangements pdf icon PDF 154 KB

To consider the attached Joint Report of the Head of Governance and the Monitoring Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Manager presented the Review of Committee Arrangements.

 

Councillor D Hannent, duly seconded by Councillor C A Vinson, moved

 

“That, having considered the current committee structure and size, it be agreed:

 

(a)  Committee Structure (non-scrutiny)

That there be no change to the number of committees (excluding scrutiny committees) or to the number of seats on each committee.

 

(b)  Scrutiny Committees – Number

That the number of scrutiny committees be reduced to the statutory minimum number of one committee and that the new overview and scrutiny committee be composed of 10 seats. That consequential constitutional changes as set out in Appendix 3 of the report to facilitate a single overview and scrutiny committee be approved.

 

(c)   Constitution Changes – Lead Members

That there be no changes to the Constitution in respect of the participation of lead members on scrutiny committees.

 

(d)  Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committees

That there be no changes to the method by which the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committee(s) are elected.

 

(e)  That it be noted that officers will consider any other matters arising from the Statutory Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local and Combined Authorities as part of the annual Review of the Constitution in 2019.”

 

Councillor K Mills moved an AMENDMENT, duly seconded by Councillor C D Zosseder, as followed:

 

(b)  “Scrutiny Committees – Number

That the number of scrutiny committees be kept at two committees, with one of the scrutiny committees designated as a crime and disorder committee in keeping with the Gravesham Borough Council model.”

 

On being put to the meeting the AMENDMENT was LOST.

 

On being put to the meeting the Motion was CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:  That, having considered the current committee structure and size, it be agreed:

 

(a)          Committee Structure (non-scrutiny)

That there be no change to the number of committees (excluding scrutiny committees) or to the number of seats on each committee.

 

(b)          Scrutiny Committees – Number

That the number of scrutiny committees be reduced to the statutory minimum number of one committee and that the new overview and scrutiny committee be composed of 10 seats. That consequential constitutional changes as set out in Appendix 3 of the report to facilitate a single overview and scrutiny committee be approved.

 

(c)           Constitution Changes – Lead Members

That there be no changes to the Constitution in respect of the participation of lead members on scrutiny committees.

 

(d)          Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committees

That there be no changes to the method by which the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committee(s) are elected.

 

(e)          That it be noted that officers will consider any other matters arising from the Statutory Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local and Combined Authorities as part of the annual Review of the Constitution in 2019.


Meeting: 27/06/2019 - Governance Committee (Item 8)

8 Review of Committee Arrangements pdf icon PDF 154 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Governance (to follow).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Manager presented the Review of Committee Arrangements report to the Committee which had been requested by Council at its meeting held on 17 May 2019 where it asked for a review of Dover District Council’s current committee structure and the number of seats on each committee.

 

The review followed The Dover (Electoral Changes) Order 2019 that reduced the number of district councillors from 45 to 32 and the number of wards from 21 to 17. The report provided members with an analysis of the impact of the change in council size on the Council’s committee arrangements and provided members with the various options available for their consideration.

 

Having considered the report Members discussed the options available, which included: reducing committee sizes (subject to statutory minimum sizes where they applied); changing the committee structure; changing the number of scrutiny committees, and the arrangements for the election of the Chair of scrutiny committees in light of statutory guidance issued in May 2019.

 

A scrutiny committee, whether it be two or one, was legislatively required under the Local Government Act 2000 for an authority that operated executive arrangements. Dover District Council had a two scrutiny model with 10 members on each committee. A survey of CIPFA Nearest Neighbour councils and other Kent district/borough councils operating the executive model found that the majority were operating a single committee model. Members were of the opinion that a single scrutiny model, combining the work of two committees, would be the most favorable and that no changes needed to be made to the chairmanship, which would remain as a member not from the controlling group. It was considered too risky to radically reduce some committee sizes to a committee size of 5 members as it would increase the risk of meetings being inquorate more regularly. Members were of the opinion that the committee sizes should remain the same.

 

Members thanked the Democratic Services Manager for the report and acknowledged the broad and complex remit of the report.

 

RESOLVED: That, having considered the current committee structure and size, the Governance Committee recommend the following to the full Council for its consideration:

 

(a)           Committee Structure (non scrutiny)

That there be no change to the number of committees (excluding scrutiny committees) or to the number of seats on each committee.

 

(b)          Scrutiny Committees – Number

That the number of scrutiny committees be reduced to the statutory minimum number of one committee and that the new overview and scrutiny committee be composed of 10 seats.

 

That consequential constitutional changes as set out in Appendix 3 of the report to facilitate a single overview and scrutiny committee be approved

 

(c)          Constitution Changes – Lead Members

That there be no changes to the Constitution in respect of the participation of lead members on scrutiny committees.

 

(d)          Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committees

That there be no changes to the method by which the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of scrutiny committee(s) are elected.

 

(e)          That it be noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8