Agenda item

Members are asked to appoint to the committees etc., outside bodies and Member roles for 2018-19.

The report of the Director of Governance and Commissioning sets out the requirements for these appointments.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning introduced the report which covered the following items:

a)  Responsibilities of the Fire Authority and its committees, boards etc.;

b)  Political proportions on the Fire Authority;

c)  Political proportionality rules (where they apply and where they don’t and their affect upon the allocation of seats on committees etc.);

d)  Appointment of Members to available seats on committees etc;

e)  Appointment of independent members;

f)   Appointments to outside bodies;

g)  Appointment of Member Champions; and

h)  Endorsement of Member/officer buddy arrangements.

A revised copy of Appendix 2A was distributed at the meeting to reflect the establishment of the three political groups and also the changes to the allocation on committees.  The Director of Governance and Commissioning pointed out that it had been necessary to consider the seat numbers to ensure that the political proportionality would work satisfactorily when seats were being allocated.  As a result, the number of seats on Estates and Property Committee had been reduced from 7 to 6.  The Director of Governance and Commissioning confirmed that the necessary changes to the constitution would be made to give effect to this if Members approved the approach.

Details of the proposed nominations to the various committees, outside organisations and member champion roles had been provided by the three political groups.  Completed version of Appendices 2B, 3 and 4 were provided to all Members in order that they check them prior to approval

A complete list of the appointments made at the Fire Authority meeting (covering Appendices 2B, 3 and 4) is attached as an Annex to these minutes.

RESOLVED That:

[1]       the responsibilities of the Fire Authority set out in Appendix 1A be confirmed;

[2]       the responsibilities of Committees, Boards and Groups set out in Appendix 1B be agreed;

[3]       the political proportions on the Fire Authority set out in paragraph 4 be agreed;

[4]       the approach to the allocation of seats explained in paragraphs 6 and 7 and the revised copy of Appendix 2A be agreed;

[5]       the appointments required as set out in Appendix 2B be agreed (see Annex);

[6]       the appointment of independent members (to act in an advisory capacity) as set out in paragraphs 11 and 12 of the report and shown in Appendix 2B be agreed (see Annex);

[7]       the appointments to outside bodies set out in Appendix 3 (see Annex) be agreed;

[8]       the appointments of Member Champions set out in Appendix 4 be agreed (see Annex); and

[9]       the continuation of the Member/officer buddy arrangements be agreed.