Agenda item - Appointments to the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee (2019-2020)

Agenda item

Appointments to the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee (2019-2020)

Report No: OAS/WS/19/004

Minutes:

The Committee received Report No: OAS/WS/19/004, which sought nominations (annually), for one full member and one substitute member to serve on the Suffolk County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee for 2019-2020. 

 

The Chair explained that district council members of the Health and Scrutiny Committee should ideally be nominated from that council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, although this was not essential as the necessary training would be provided by Suffolk County Council (SCC).  The only caveat was that the nomination must not be a member from the nominating Council's Cabinet. 

 

The Health Scrutiny Committee was responsible for scrutinising wellbeing and health services across the County.  The Committee had 10 members in total: - five county councillors and one co-opted representative from each of the district and borough councils in Suffolk.  Attached at Appendix 1 to the report was an extract from the SCC’s constitution, setting out the role of the Health Scrutiny Committee. 

 

The Committee meets four times a year.  Since the report was published the July and October 2019 dates had been changed, and the revised dates for 2019-2020 were as follows:

 

Thursday 11 July 2019

Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich

10am

Thursday 10 October 2019

Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich

10am

Wednesday 15 January 2020

Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich

10am

Wednesday 22 April 2020

Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich

10am

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report and two nominations for the position of the West Suffolk Council’s nominated representative on the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee were received, which were both duly seconded.  These being Councillor Margaret Marks and Councillor Paul Hopfensperger. 

 

Councillor Joe Mason, who had proposed Councillor Margaret Marks, explained why he felt she would be an excellent full representative on the Health Scrutiny Committee for the new West Suffolk Council given her extensive background in the health profession and participation in various health organisations and initiatives over many years (including being a substitute member of the Health Scrutiny Committee for the former St Edmundsbury Borough Council).

 

Councillor Richard Rout then explained his reasons for proposing Councillor Paul Hopfensperger.  This was followed by a personal statement from Councillor Paul Hopfensperger himself.  Through these two supporting statements, the Committee was advised of Councillor Paul Hopfensperger’s own background in health matters, including his own wellness business; Councillor Hopfensperger’s record as the full representative of the former St Edmundsbury Borough Council on the Health Scrutiny Committee over the last 3½ years; and why Councillor Hopfensperger would be best placed to continue this work as the full representative for the new West Suffolk Council.  Reference was also made to an email from the Chair of the SCC Health Scrutiny Committee, expressing her support for him to continue on the Health Scrutiny Committee.  Councillor Hopfensperger also questioned why nominations for this role were sought each year. 

 

Councillor Terry Clements then also explained why he supported Councillor Paul Hopfensperger in continuing his role on the Health Scrutiny Committee.

 

Nominations were then put to the vote by way of a show of hands and, with the vote being 6 for Councillor Margaret Marks and 6 for Councillor Paul Hopfensperger and 1 abstention, the Chair exercised his casting vote, being for Councillor Margaret Marks.  Accordingly, it was:

 

          RECOMMENDED 

 

That Council be asked to confirm at its meeting on 16 July 2019, the appointment of Councillor Margaret Marks as the West Suffolk Council’s nominated representative on the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee for 2019-2020.

         

Councillor Patrick Chung then proposed Councillor Paul Hopfensperger as the West Suffolk Council’s nominated substitute representative, this was duly seconded by Councillor Tony Brown, and with the vote being unanimous, it was:

 

RECOMMENDED

 

That Council be asked to confirm at its meeting on 16 July 2019, the appointment of Councillor Paul Hopfensperger as the West Suffolk Council’s nominated substitute representative on the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee for 2019-2020.

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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