Agenda item

Annual Review and Appointment of Cabinet's Working Group, Joint Committees/Panels and Other Groups

Report No: CAB/FH/16/021

Portfolio Holder: James Waters               

Lead Officers: Karen Points and Steven Boyle

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

Current Cabinet Working Group: Forest Heath District Council Membership only

 

1.       That:

(a)     The Local Plan Working Group continues to operate at the present time in accordance with its current Terms of Reference, as detailed in Appendix A to Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

(b)     The future direction of the Local Plan Working Group, as outlined in Section 1.2.3 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021, be noted.

 

Current Joint Panels and Steering Group: Joint Membership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council

 

2.       That:

(a)     The West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group, West Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Panel, West Suffolk Joint Health and Safety Panel and the West Suffolk Joint Staff Consultative Panel continue to operate in accordance with their current Terms of Reference contained in Appendices B, C D and E to Report No CAB/FH/16/021 respectively.

 

(b)         Meetings of the Joint Panels set out in Section 1.3.1, continue to be scheduled as and when required, but with regard to the discussion outlined in Section 1.3.4.

 

Political Balance

 

3.       That:

(a)     The Interim Service Manager (Legal and Democratic Services) be given delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, Members and substitute Members to the Working Group, Joint Panels and Steering Group for 2016/2017, as set out in Sections 1.2.1 and 1.3.1, on the nominations from the Group Leaders.

 

(b)         Such re-appointments/appointments be made on the basis of political balance requirements, where applicable and identified in Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

Joint Committees: Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee

 

4.       That the Interim Service Manager (Legal and Democratic Services) be given delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, one full Cabinet Member and two substitute Cabinet Members to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee for 2016/2017, on the nomination of the Leader of the Council.

Other Informal Working Groups

 

5.       That:

(a)     The Cabinet’s existing informal Working Groups be retained or disbanded as indicated in Section 1.6.2 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

(b)     Provided that resources are available to support them, further informal task-and-finish working groups continue to be established to consider specific issues as required throughout 2016/2017.

 

Re-appointment of Representatives to Outside Bodies

 

6.       The Members stated in Section 1.7.2 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021 (Addendum) be re-appointed as ‘Observers’ to the respective outside bodies listed and that the Leader or ex-officio appointments to the project or partnership groups listed in Sections 1.7.3 and 1.7.4, be noted.

Minutes:

(Report No CAB/FH/16/021)

 

The Cabinet considered this report which presented the annual review and re-appointment of Cabinet Working Group, Joint Committees/Panels and Other Groups for 2016/2017.  An addendum to this report had also been circulated which set out further information and an amended recommendation (6) in relation to Section 1.7 of the report (Re-appointment of representatives to outside bodies).

 

Councillor James Waters, Leader of the Council drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that the Cabinet was required to review the membership and Terms of Reference of its Working Group, Joint Committees/Panels and other Groups for 2016/2017.  The existing Terms of Reference for the relevant bodies were attached as Appendix A to E inclusive.

 

No changes were recommended to the majority of the existing arrangements, with the exception of a proposal to disband the West Suffolk Joint Diversity Working Party.  Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council were now in a position across the West Suffolk organisation where, instead of diversity and equality being considered in isolation, it was now mainstreamed into the way in which the Councils worked and was reported to Members through the Annual Report.

 

Together with the other recommendations contained in the report, the Cabinet supported this proposal and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

Current Cabinet Working Group: Forest Heath District Council Membership only

1.       That:

(a)     The Local Plan Working Group continues to operate at the present time in accordance with its current Terms of Reference, as detailed in Appendix A to Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

(b)     The future direction of the Local Plan Working Group, as outlined in Section 1.2.3 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021, be noted.

 

Current Joint Panels and Steering Group: Joint Membership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council

2.       That:

(a)     The West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group, West Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Panel, West Suffolk Joint Health and Safety Panel and the West Suffolk Joint Staff Consultative Panel continue to operate in accordance with their current Terms of Reference contained in Appendices B, C D and E to Report No CAB/FH/16/021 respectively.

 

(b)         Meetings of the Joint Panels set out in Section 1.3.1, continue to be scheduled as and when required, but with regard to the discussion outlined in Section 1.3.4.

 

Political Balance

3.       That:

(a)     The Interim Service Manager (Legal and Democratic Services) be given delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, Members and substitute Members to the Working Group, Joint Panels and Steering Group for 2016/2017, as set out in Sections 1.2.1 and 1.3.1, on the nominations from the Group Leaders.

 

(b)       Such re-appointments/appointments be made on the basis of political balance requirements, where applicable and identified in Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

Joint Committees: Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee

4.       That the Interim Service Manager (Legal and Democratic Services) be given delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, one full Cabinet Member and two substitute Cabinet Members to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee for 2016/2017, on the nomination of the Leader of the Council.

 

Other Informal Working Groups

5.       That:

(a)     The Cabinet’s existing informal Working Groups be retained or disbanded as indicated in Section 1.6.2 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021.

 

(b)     Provided that resources are available to support them, further informal task-and-finish working groups continue to be established to consider specific issues as required throughout 2016/2017.

 

Re-appointment of Representatives to Outside Bodies

6.       The Members stated in Section 1.7.2 of Report No CAB/FH/16/021 (Addendum) be re-appointed as ‘Observers’ to the respective outside bodies listed and that the Leader or ex-officio appointments to the project or partnership groups listed in Sections 1.7.3 and 1.7.4, be noted.

Supporting documents: