1. To Councillor Ives, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, from Councillor Clark:
“Will you please positively support the following points when the terms of reference are considered at Resources Working Party?
Resources Working Party
Membership
· To include all members of Policy and Resources
· Substitutes to be named at an equal number to members
· To include representatives from all political groups if possible
Meeting Frequency
· To meet each cycle prior to P&R
· Any recommendations to go to P & R with officers and other reports as recommended items
· All terms of reference and other constitutional items to be Part B items and thus by referred to Full Council
· Substitutes to be named at an equal number to members
· RWP has no authority to decide on any consultation/decision etc from P&R or any other committee
Power to call meetings
· Meetings can be called by the Chair
Constitution Working Party
Membership
· To be elected by Full Council and Annual Council for the ensuing year
· Chair of Full Council
· Group Leaders
· Substitutes - Vice Chair of Full Council
1 named member per political group
Meeting Frequency
· When required but to be a minimum of twice per year
· All recommendations to go to P&R as Part B items
Power to call meetings
· Constitution Working Party can be called by any 2 members of the working party
Senior Management Contracts Sub Committee
Membership
· Group Leaders
· Others appointed by Full Council so as to achieve proportionality
Meeting Frequency
· Meet at least once per year
Power to call meetings
· Meetings can be called by the Chair or any two members
Corporate Governance Standards Sub-Committee
Membership
· 3 members to be appointed by Overview and Scrutiny
· 1 substitute to be appointed
Meeting Frequency
· Meet at least once per municipal year
· Produce an annual report
· Annual report to consider conduct
· Training etc when required
Power to call meetings
· Meetings to be called by the Monitoring Officer
· Monitoring Officer to call a meeting if requested by the Chair or the Independent Person
Grants Working Party
Membership
· 1 member from each party
· Plus 1 extra member from the controlling (or largest) group
Meeting Frequency
· At least 2 meetings per year
Appeals Sub Committee
Membership
· 1 member from each of the three largest groups
· 1 substitute for each members
Meeting Frequency
· As required by any appeals
Corporate Peer Challenge Improvement Plan Working Group
Same membership and other details as Resources Working Party above.”
Minutes:
1. Councillor Clark submitted the following question:
To Councillor Ives, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee:
“Will you please positively support the following points when the terms of reference are considered at Resources Working Party?
Resources Working Party
Membership
· To include all members of Policy and Resources
· Substitutes to be named at an equal number to members
· To include representatives from all political groups if possible
Meeting Frequency
· To meet each cycle prior to P&R
· Any recommendations to go to P & R with officers and other reports as recommended items
· All terms of reference and other constitutional items to be Part B items and thus by referred to Full Council
· Substitutes to be named at an equal number to members
· RWP has no authority to decide on any consultation/decision etc from P&R or any other committee
Power to call meetings
· Meetings can be called by the Chair
Constitution Working Party
Membership
· To be elected by Full Council and Annual Council for the ensuing year
· Chair of Full Council
· Group Leaders
· Substitutes - Vice Chair of Full Council
1 named member per political group
Meeting Frequency
· When required but to be a minimum of twice per year
· All recommendations to go to P&R as Part B items
Power to call meetings
· Constitution Working Party can be called by any 2 members of the working party
Senior Management Contracts Sub Committee
Membership
· Group Leaders
· Others appointed by Full Council so as to achieve proportionality
Meeting Frequency
· Meet at least once per year
Power to call meetings
· Meetings can be called by the Chair or any two members
Corporate Governance Standards Sub-Committee
Membership
· 3 members to be appointed by Overview and Scrutiny
· 1 substitute to be appointed
Meeting Frequency
· Meet at least once per municipal year
· Produce an annual report
· Annual report to consider conduct
· Training etc when required
Power to call meetings
· Meetings to be called by the Monitoring Officer
· Monitoring Officer to call a meeting if requested by the Chair or the Independent Person
Grants Working Party
Membership
· 1 member from each party
· Plus 1 extra member from the controlling (or largest) group
Meeting Frequency
· At least 2 meetings per year
Appeals Sub Committee
Membership
· 1 member from each of the three largest groups
· 1 substitute for each members
Meeting Frequency
· As required by any appeals
Corporate Peer Challenge Improvement Plan Working Group
Same membership and other details as Resources Working Party above.”
The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Ives replied
“The question is will I positively support the points. I promise that I will positively consider the points. To ask me to support many different points, some of which may be controversial, I simply cannot do and I'm sure that the Resources Working Party will have their own opinions. One thing I regret Mr Chairman is that I'm sure that when this comes before the Resources Working Party, given the number of items to consider, it will be time consuming, it will lead to much debate, it will go on, it may be deferred, it comes back to Policy and Resources Committee and all the time we spend navel gazing, talking about procedure, it takes us away from the issues that really matter. When someone asks me why I've not called a meeting of the Constitution Working Party - I think the reality is that whenever we refer to the word constitution it means that something's going wrong. It means that there's been a breakdown in relations, it means that we aren't understanding what we should be doing and actually what really matters is what can we do and the differences we can make and I think we all know is the reason why we're all in local government is that we know the difference that we can collectively make to the people at large. Talking about membership and Constitution Working Parties and whether a meeting can be called by this person or that person is not achieving that aim and therefore the opportunity cost of going through all of this Mr Chairman is a matter of regret.”
Councillor Clark asked the following supplementary question:
“Well it's disappointing Chair that Councillor Ives hasn't the time and isn't prepared to consider these and tell us that he will positively support all but two or all but one but just gives an answer as to why it shouldn't be happening at all. OK, so if he doesn't think that industrial employment land in Pickering is important, that's fine but it's not the view that I would take I'm sorry Joy - that to Councillor Joy Andrews who was going to come down to a P&R meeting over an industrial proposal in Pickering Part B Item, it didn't go to Full Council so Councillor Andrews was deprived of the opportunity of speaking on it. The report done on times and debates and whatever done by Overview and Scrutiny, and I was not involved in it at all, cannot be so irrelevant that a Constitution Working Party doesn't meet for 2 years and that report is therefore in effect been a complete waste of time. I'm disappointed that one Councillor thinks he is in a position to decide because he is the Chair of that Constitution Working Party. That he is in a position to say I don't agree with that work done by Overview and Scrutiny at that time and those people that were on Overview and Scrutiny at that time consider this is how they have been treated - I am not going to do it. So Councillor Ives will you please reconsider that approach that you have and I'm someone that's as capable as anybody else of questioning the rules and whatever but when you are taking the work of a Committee or the interest and involvement of a Councillor and binning it because you have decided, would you not agree with me that is probably the wrong approach?”
Councillor Ives replied:
“Councillor Clark you use the phrase that I don't have enough time for this. I think that what you do not perhaps get is that time is a limited commodity and the question is everyone's got limited time, how is it best spent. You prefer to spend your time navel gazing, talking about issues, talking about procedure whereas I prefer to use my time talking about the issues that really matter. Talking about the economy, talking about housing, talking about jobs. You refer to a report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee - that report related to the start time of meetings. We had several extensive debates about this, including one at Full Council, including - that debate actually went on for over an hour - there was a two thirds majority of this Council in favour of the conclusion and yet it had to go all the way back through that structure, taking up more time and the question is, is that what we're really here to do? To talk about what time we should start to meet. I'll leave that question as rhetorical Mr Chairman.”