Committee:	Governance Committee
Date:	18 July 2023
Title:	Outside Body Appointment: Police and Crime Panel
By:	Assistant Chief Executive
Purpose of report:	To consider the appointment of a second Council representative on the Sussex Police and Crime Panel

RECOMMENDATIONS: 

The Committee is recommended to delegate authority to the Chair of the Governance Committee to appoint an additional member of the Council, to the Police and Crime Panel (PCP), in accordance with the political balance provisions as applied to the PCP should the Council receive a request for a further Member to be appointed.

1.         Supporting Information

1.1 Each of the 15 borough, county, district and unitary authorities across Sussex appoint one representative to the Sussex Police and Crime Panel. At the County Council meeting held on 25 May 2021, Councillor Standley was appointed as the County Council’s representative on the Panel.

1.2 In addition to a representative from each authority in Sussex, the Constitution of the Police and Crime Panel allows for additional local authority members to be appointed to address any imbalance in political proportionality. Any such appointments will be for a one-year period and should be agreed at the Panel’s annual meeting.

1.3 The Committee was asked to consider its nomination for the additional East Sussex place on the Panel at the meeting held on 27 June. The recommendation was for a Liberal Democrat to be appointed which was consistent with the membership arrangements for 2022/23. However, the Police and Crime Panel were unable to confirm the 15 representatives from each of the authorities at their annual meeting of 30 June and were therefore unable to agree the political proportionality required for the additional local authority representation.

1.4 The Panel expects to confirm the 15 representatives after 26 July. The Panel will then agree the political representation of the additional local authority members and will require appointments to be made by their next meeting of 22 September.

1.5 The Governance Committee is not scheduled to meet until the 28 September and therefore the Committee is recommended to delegate to the Chair of Committee authority to appoint an additional representative of the Council contingent on the recommendation from the Panel in respect of political proportionality.

2.         Conclusion

2.1       The Committee is recommended to delegate authority to the Chair of the Committee to appoint an additional representative of the Council in accordance with the political balance provisions as applied to the PCP, should such a request be received.  

PHILIP BAKER

Assistant Chief Executive

Contact Officer:  Georgina Seligmann

Tel: 01273 482355

Email:  georgina.seligmann@eastsussex.gov.uk

Local Member:   All    

Background Documents

None