Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee
At its meeting on 23 November 2020, the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered Paper JOS/20/3 – Review of Outside Bodies.
The Committee’s Recommendations to Council are attached as Paper BC/20/19.
Minutes:
46.1 The Chair invited the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor McCraw to introduce the recommendations from the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee in Paper MC/20/19.
46.2 Councillor McCraw provided a summary of the reasons behind the recommendations, including that the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee had deemed that the Haven Gateway Partnership did not contribute any value to the Council, that the Member reporting template would be used at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s annual review of Outside Bodies and that Members had expressed that training opportunities should be provided to both new and existing Members.
46.3 Councillor McCraw PROPOSED Recommendations 1.1 to 1.6 which was SECONDED by Councillor Malvisi.
46.4 Councillor Arthey queried the removal of the Joint Waste Management Board as he thought it still met. However, Councillor Malvisi, who had been appointed to represent the Council at the above Outside Body, agreed with Councillor McCraw that it did not exist.
46.5 Councillor Ward asked that Members reconsidered Recommendation 1.2, as representation on the Haven Gateway Partnership would be beneficial to the Council due to the current discussions around free ports.
46.6 Councillor Jan Osborne asked for clarification of Recommendation 1.2 and if there were any financial issues to be contributed to the Partnership and where the organisation was based.
46.7 Councillor McCraw responded that he believed it was based in Essex.
46.8 Members debated the recommendations and Councillor Davis stated that having a seat on Haven Gateway Partnership was important, especially for the Council’s involvement with the free port in Felixstowe.
46.9 Some Members thought that representation on Haven Gateway Partnership had been useful in the past and others thought representation should only continue if there were current benefits for the Council.
46.10 The Chair suggested that Recommendation 1.2 was voted on separately from the rest of the recommendations.
46.11 Councillor McCraw the Proposer and Councillor Malvisi, the Seconder both approved of this suggestion.
46.12 Councillor Arthey clarified that the Joint Waste Contract Board did not require specific member representation and he agreed that the Joint Waste Management Board did no longer exist.
46.13 Recommendation 1.2 was put to Members for voting.
By 6 votes for and 21 votes against, 1 abstention.
It was RESOLVED: -
That the vote was lost.
46.14 The meeting had reached the guillotine deadline and the Chair asked for a proposer and seconder for the meeting to continue.
46.15 Councillor McCraw PROPOSED that the meeting continued, which was SECONDED by Councillor Malvisi.
46.16 Members approved by consensus and none spoke against the proposal.
It was RESOLVED: -
That the meeting continue beyond the guillotine deadline, until all business was concluded.
46.17 Recommendations 1.1, and 1.3 to 1.5 were put to Members for voting.
By 25 votes for and 1 vote against, 1 abstention.
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That the following appointments to Outside Bodies, no longer requiring representation, be removed from the appointments made, based on the information received.
Babergh District Council
Babergh Domestic Violence and Abuse Forum
East West Rail Consortium
Joint Waste Management Board
Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Policy Panel
Suffolk Rail Policy Group
1.3 That a reporting mechanism in the form of a template for Representatives on Outside Bodies be established to provide valuable information to Members and Public, the information be presented as part of the annual review of Member Representation on Outside Bodies to the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
1.4 That support and training be established for Members when appointed as representatives on Outside Bodies.
Supporting documents: