Contact: David Hinxman , ext 7339

1 Summary

1.1 This report concerns the establishment of an Advisory Panel to report to the Leader on matters relating to buildings, land and contracts; the Vice-Chairmanship of the Schools Monitoring Panel and other matters concerning the County Council's Policy Review Committees (PRCs).

2 A new Advisory Panel for Buildings, Land and Contracts issues

2.1 At the call-in meeting of the Policy and Resources PRC on 7 November when his decision as to improvements to the audio and sound system in the Council Chamber was reviewed, the Leader announced his proposal to establish a new Panel to consider and advise on buildings, land and contracts issues. It is anticipated that this would include all project appraisals which would be the subject of key decisions, i.e. all those with a value in excess of £0.5m or with a significant community impact as previously defined by the Council. At this stage it is proposed that the Panel be asked to develop terms of reference for consideration by the County Council at its next meeting. The Panel would comprise 8 members (5:2:1) and would be likely to meet 4 to 6 times a year.

3 Schools Monitoring Panel

3.1 At its previous meeting the Council asked the Schools Monitoring Panel to submit a recommendation as to its Vice-Chairmanship. Councillor Mrs. P. M. Devereux is recommended to this office by the Panel.

4 Policy Review Committees

4.1 Following consultation and subsequent agreement with the minority group leaders and having regard to the proposed introduction of a further scrutiny committee in the form of the Health Review Committee and ever increasing workloads generally, the Leader proposes that the membership of the PRCs, with the exception of Education, be reduced to 18 - 11:5:2. In the special case of the Education PRC, in order to maintain a majority as required by statute given that 5 of the appointed members have a vote, 20 County Councillors should be appointed - 13:5:2 On this basis overall proportionality, taking into account the Health Review Committee and the proposed Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel, would be as follows, an imbalance of 1 seat (73/34) between the two minority groups:-

Total Conservative Liberal Democrat Labour

283 176 74 33

4.2 To fill vacancies Mr. D. Mewes has been nominated as a teacher representative on the Education PRC and Mr. T. Coupland has been elected as a parent governor representative from the secondary school sector. The Council's approval to their appointment to the Education PRC is sought.

4.3 Approval is also sought to Mrs. Carol Barfoot's absence from Education PRC meetings for the reasons given in the recommendation. Mrs. Barfoot is a parent governor representative.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. That Part 1 Chapter 10 of the Constitution (Other Advisory Panels) be revised by the following addition to paragraph 10.2.

2. That Councillor T. K. Thornber, CBE be appointed Chairman of the Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel, the Panel to comprise 8 members (5:2:1);

3. That Councillor Mrs. P. M. Devereux be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Schools Monitoring Panel;

4. That the Education PRC comprise 20 County Councillors (13:5:2) and all other PRCs 18 County Councillors (11:5:2);

5. That Mr. D. Mewes and Mr. T. Coupland be appointed co-opted members of the Education PRC to fill teacher representative and parent governor representative vacancies respectively;

6. That, pursuant to Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, approval be given to Mrs. Carol Barfoot's absence from meetings due to her own indisposition and that of members of her family.

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