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Governance Committee |
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Date:
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28 September 2023 |
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By:
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Assistant Chief Executive |
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Title of report:
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Appointments of Members to Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels
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Purpose of report:
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To consider the allocation of places on committees, sub-committees and panels as a result of the by-elections in July and August 2023.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The Governance Committee is recommended to recommend to County Council to: 1. Increase the Membership of the Governance Committee to 6 members.
2. Allocate to political and independent groups the places on, and membership of: (a) The main committees in appendix 1 of this report; (b) Other committees and panels listed in Appendix 2 of this report. |
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1.1 Following the by-elections of 27 July and 3 August 2023 a request was received to review the allocations to political and independent groups the places on and membership of committees, sub-committees and panels.
1.2 In appointing members to committees, sub-committees, most panels and some outside bodies, the Council must comply with section 15 of the Local Government Act 1989 and subsequent Regulations. These provide that places on committees must be allocated to political groups in proportion to the number of seats on the Council held by each group, unless there is agreement, without dissent, that the provisions of the Act should not be applied.
1.3 The allocation of places to party groups must, so far as is reasonably practicable, give effect to the following principles:
(a) not all the seats on the body can be allocated to the same political group;
(b) where more than half the members of the Council belong to one political group, that group shall have a majority on all committees, sub-committees, etc;
(c) subject to (a) and (b) above, the total number of seats on the ordinary committees (including sub-committees) allocated to a political group reflects that group’s proportion of the members of the Council;
(d) subject to (a), (b) and (c) above, the number of seats on each body allocated to a political group reflects the proportion of the seats on the Council held by the group.
1.4 The rules require seats to be allocated on a proportional basis “so far as practicable” and inevitably there must be some rounding up and rounding down. It is open to the Council to review the size and number of committees and sub-committees at any time.
1.5 The principle in paragraph 1.2 (c) above applies to appointments to ordinary committees (including sub-committees). Accordingly, before considering the allocation of places to political groups the Committee will need to consider whether it wishes to recommend any changes in committees, including their size.
2. Allocation of seats
2.1 The tables in Appendix 1 have been compiled following consultation with the Group Leaders and show the revised allocation of seats for 2023/24 following the by-elections in July and August 2023. The proposals in relation to the ordinary committees and sub-committees, their total membership and the number of seats on each to which the groups will be entitled follows the principles set out in paragraph 1.2 above.
2.2 The proposed size of the Governance Committee has been increased to 6to take into account the importance of having one member from each of the four largest political groups. Membership of this Committee normally includes the Group Leaders and better reflects the make-up of the Council.
2.3 The Committee is asked to consider the allocations in Appendix 1 and to make a recommendation to the County Council as to the number of places on each committee to be allocated to each group or independent members.
3. Other Committees and Panels
3.1 There is no obligation in relation to other committees and panels to aggregate the total number of places and to adjust allocations so that the total number of places allocated to each group reflects its proportion of the members of the Council. It is proposed that places should be allocated on a proportionate basis which has been the custom for certain panels over many years.
3.2 Following consultation with Group Leaders these allocations and appointments remain unchanged and are set out in appendix 2.
3.3 The Committee is asked to recommend to County Council the number of places on the Committees and Panels listed in Appendix 2.
4. Conclusion
4.1 The Committee is asked to recommend the County Council to agree the allocation of places on committees to each group as set out in Appendix 1 and 2 and to agree to the changes in membership.
Assistant Chief Executive
Contact Officer: Georgina
Seligmann
Tel: 01273 482355
E-mail: georgina.seligmann@eastsussex.gov.uk
Local Member: All
Background Documents: None
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Group |
Number of Councillors |
% |
Number of Seats |
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Conservative |
25 |
50 |
40 |
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Liberal Democrat |
12 |
24 |
19 |
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Labour |
5 |
10 |
8 |
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Green |
5 |
10 |
8 |
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Independent Democrat |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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Independent |
1 |
2 |
1 |
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Total |
50 |
100 |
79 |
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Committee
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Conservative |
Liberal Democrat |
Labour |
Green |
Independent Democrat |
Independent |
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Regulatory Committee (18) |
9 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
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Planning (7)
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4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Governance Committee (6) |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Standards Committee (7) |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Pension Committee (5) |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Audit (7)
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4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Place (11)
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5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
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People (11)
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4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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HOSC (7)
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4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Totals (79)
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40 |
19 |
8 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
This allocation relates to the following Committees and Panels:
(a) County Joint Consultative Committee (5 members of the County Council).
Conservative: Cllr Glazier
Conservative: Cllr Bennett
Conservative: Cllr Standley
Lib Dem: Cllr Tutt
Labour: Cllr Webb
(b) County Consultative Committee Governors (5 Members of the County Council, one of whom should be the Lead Cabinet Member Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability who chairs the Committee).
Conservative: Cllr Standley
Conservative: Cllr Galley
Conservative: Cllr Belsey
Lib Dem: Cllr Shuttleworth
Labour: Cllr Scott
(c) Joint Advisory Committee (Schools) (5 Members of the County Council of whom one should be the Lead Cabinet Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability, and another should be a member of the Cabinet).
Conservative: Cllr Standley
Conservative: Cllr Bennett
Conservative: Cllr Bowdler
Lib Deb: Cllr Shuttleworth
Labour: Cllr Collier
(d) Corporate Parenting Panel (7 Members of the County Council).
Conservative: Cllr Bowdler
Conservative: Cllr di Cara
Conservative: Cllr Marlow-Eastwood
Conservative: Cllr Milligan
Lib Dem: Cllr Field
Lib Dem: Cllr Swansborough
Green: Cllr Denis
(e) Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (5 members of the County Council).
Conservative: Cllr Galley
Conservative: Cllr Belsey
Conservative: Cllr Azad
Lib Dem: Cllr Murphy
Labour: Cllr Webb
(f) Transport and Student Support Panel (3 Members of the County Council). The County Council has a custom of agreeing to waive the political balance provisions in relation to this Panel.
Conservative: Cllr Redstone
Lib Dem: Cllr Field
Green: Cllr Denis