Archived decisions

Contact: Jeff Pattison, 01962 847321

1 Summary

1.1 At the meeting of the Authority on 5 December 2001 a report was requested from the Clerk on how the Authority could, if it desired, recognise outstanding past service to the Authority by a past member. The report gives options as to the actions that the Authority could take if it wished to pursue this course of action.

2 Background

2.1 At the last meeting of the Authority on 5 December 2001 Councillor Mrs. Barron suggested, and the Authority agreed, to consider a report from the Clerk on opportunities which might exist to recognise outstanding service on the part of past members of either the Combined Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority or its predecessor, Hampshire County Council.

2.2 There are no specific statutory provisions applying to combined fire authorities which provide for such past service to be recognised. The position is therefore different from that applying to local authorities, who can at least appoint Honorary Aldermen under Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972. As there is no specific statutory authority, any action taken on the part of the Authority to recognise past exceptional service would need to fall within the ambit of being incidental to the Authority's prime function, and therefore necessarily incur only a small minor cost.

2.3 Enquiries have been made of other combined fire authorities to determine if they make any special provision to recognise the exceptional efforts of some of their past members. Accordingly enquiries were made of East Sussex, Dorset, Kent and Medway, Lancashire, Hereford and Worcester, and Leicestershire and Rutland. None of these authorities made any special arrangements to recognise the past exceptional contribution of members to the Authority.

2.4 Notwithstanding these responses, it would nonetheless be possible for the Authority to recognise former members of either the Fire Authority or the County Council who have rendered eminent services. This could be recognised at a full meeting of the Authority when the past member is invited to attend to receive the thanks of the Authority. This recognition would be recorded in the minutes, but it is suggested that in order to enhance the ceremony and provide a keepsake for the member being recognised, it would be appropriate for an illuminated scroll to be provided. Other alternative `keepsakes' might include medals, ceremonial fire-fighters axes, or names kept on a `roll of honour' in the Chief Fire Officer's office, but the cost of each must be borne in mind.

2.5 If the Authority wished to proceed with the idea of recognising exceptional service of a past member, then the procedure for doing so would need to be agreed. However, rather than set out detailed criteria, it might be more efficient if names were brought forward only if they had been previously agreed by the political group leaders on the Authority, and the Chairman.

3 Conclusion

3.1 The Authority is asked to consider whether it wishes to make any special arrangements to recognise past exceptional service on the part of those people who are no longer members of the Authority and, if it does, how it would wish to do so.

4 The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Recommendation

That the Authority considers whether or not it wishes to take any special measures to recognise exceptional service to the Authority by past members and, if so, the means by which such service should be recognised.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

None.

N.B. The list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.