Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 9

14 July, 2004

Appointment of Committees, Deputies and Other Appointments

Report of the Clerk

Contact: Mr. K. Ridout. (01962) 847356.

(A) Appointment of Committees, Deputies and Other Appointments

1 Summary

1.1 This report seeks approval to the proportional allocation of members to the Authority's Finance and General Purposes, Personnel, Performance Review and Standards Committees, to the appointment of members and deputies to serve on each, the appointment of their respective Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen; and to various other appointments. It is also proposed at this meeting to establish a new Committee to monitor and review corporate governance and internal audit related matters.

2 Size and Political Composition of Committees

2.1 Following the recent Portsmouth and Southampton City Council elections, the political composition of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority remain as before with 14 Conservative, 7 Liberal Democrat and 4 Labour. From the County Council, there have been no changes notified to the Clerk. Portsmouth City Council have reappointed Councillor D. Horne and appointed Councillor Mrs. Elaine Baker in place of Councillor G. Semmens and Councillor A. Bentley in place of Councillor M. Andrewes. Southampton City Council have re-appointed Councillors P. Galton and R. Smith and appointed Councillor R. Williams in place of Councillor S. Letts.

2.2 The political proportionality of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 apply to the Authority. This requires, inter-alia, that where one political group has an overall majority, that group must have a majority on any Committee.

2.3 The number of seats on the Authority's existing Committees is set out below and it is proposed that this remain unchanged.

Committees Conservative Liberal Democrat Labour Group
Group Group

Finance and General
Purposes 7 4 2

Personnel 7 3 2

Performance Review 4 2 1

Standards 3 1 1

3 Appointment of Deputies

3.1 The Authority's Standing Orders normally require each Committee to include one member from each of the constituent authorities. In respect of the two Cities, where they have had only one representative on a Committee it has been the practice to appoint a deputy. Notwithstanding this, currently there is no Portsmouth member on either the Performance Review or the Standards Committee. The Authority may wish to take this into consideration in making their appointments. The former membership of the four Committees, together with deputies, as previously appointed, appears as Appendix I.

4 Other Authority Appointments

4.1 The Fairness and Dignity Group - This Group comprises Fire Service Management staff and union representatives and deals with issues of equality etc within the Fire Service. Meetings are normally held bi-monthly and on a rotation basis at different fire stations across Hampshire. The local HFRA member is invited to attend those Fairness and Dignity meetings held in their particular area.

4.2 The Authority is asked to re-appoint members and deputies to this Group.

4.3 Community Fire Safety Task Force - This is a cross-party steering group that meets at Service Headquarters on a regular basis and which is currently being re-evaluated. It oversees the development of CFS Strategy in HFRA, monitors the performance of the service through the use of Performance Indicators and also provides a forum for Members to remain updated on current and future developments within Community Fire Safety. The Group comprises of Fire Service Management staff, a teaching advisor, union representatives and members of the Authority. The Member representation has recently been increased with an additional Conservative and Liberal Democrat Member.

4.4 The Authority is asked to re-appoint members and deputies to this Group.

4.5 Corporate Management Team - The Authority has previously agreed that leading members (the Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and spokespersons for the two minority political groups would meet with senior officers to develop policies, plans and recommendations for subsequent presentation to the Authority. This informal working group - called the Corporate Management Team - was originally established to make progress with the Authority's Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). It has also been used as a useful cross-party sounding board to discuss and deal with matters of urgency. It is recommended that the Corporate Management Team remains in place.

4.6 Crime and Disorder Partnerships - The Authority by way of the Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman, has appointed one of its members to serve on each of the 13 partnerships currently operated by the 11 district and 2 unitary authorities in Hampshire. They are seen as an important way to achieve and improve the delivery of "joined-up" services to local community and enable resources to be targeted using the most appropriate skills.

4.7 The Authority is asked to re-appoint members to the 13 Crime and Disorder Partnerships.

(B) Establishment of a new Committee

5 At its meeting on the 26 May, 2004, the Authority considered a report by the Clerk and Treasurer about developing the Authority's corporate governance framework. The report was in response to the District Auditor's Annual Audit letter for 2002/03 which identified this issue. Whilst not mandatory, it has become clear that in future external inspection regimes will measure all public sector organisations by the level of compliance with best practice as expressed in guidance originally designed to improve the impact of internal audit in some under-performing local authorities. The report to the last meeting was approved in relation to the proposed arrangements for the monitoring and review of corporate governance and internal audit matters subject to the change to the proposed committee arrangements referred to in Para 5.1 below. The previous report to the Authority appears as Appendix 2.

5.1 On 26 May 2004, the Authority felt that a new separate Committee should be established for corporate governance rather than to add this role to the existing responsibilities of the Standards Committee. Therefore, the Clerk was asked to prepare a report on the proposed establishment of this new committee.

5.2 It is recommended that the new Committee be named the `Governance Committee' and that its terms of reference be as set out in the previous 26 May, 2004 report; that is:

· to adopt, review and amend the corporate governance framework for the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority.


· to receive and consider reports from the Treasurer on internal audit strategy, planning and delivery.

5.3 In accordance with the present political proportionality of the Authority, it is suggested that the new Committee comprise of 7 Members (4 Conservative : 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Labour) as it is felt that this would be a workable size and similar to the number presently serving on the Performance Review Committee. Also, it might be felt appropriate to seek to co-opt suitably qualified independent Member(s) onto the new Committee. The Treasurer could investigate this further if this was the wish of the Authority or the new Committee.

5.4 Meetings of the new Committee will be programmed into the Authority's `Calendar of Meetings' in a similar way to the other committees and be serviced by the Clerk to the Authority.

6 European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

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

RECOMMENDATIONS:

(i) That, for the purposes of Part 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the allocation of seats on the Finance and General Purposes, Personnel, Performance Review and Standards Committees of the Authority, be as set out in Paragraph 2.3 of the report.

(ii) That, the Authority re-appoint members of the Finance and General Purposes, Personnel, Performance Review and Standards Committees and their respective Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, as necessary.

(iii) That the Fairness and Dignity Group be re-appointed on a similar basis as previously.

(iv) That the Community Fire Safety Task Force Group be re-appointed on a similar basis as previously.

(v) That the Clerk be notified by the Members appointed in paragraphs 4.2 and 4.4 of their respective deputies to attend a particular meeting, if required.

(vi) That the Authority appoint one member to each of the 13 Crime and Disorder Partnerships currently operated by the 11 districts and 2 unitary authorities in Hampshire on a similar basis as previously.

(vii) That the Corporate Management Team of leading Members continue as previously; the Team to comprise the Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, and spokespersons for the two minority political groups.

(viii) That a Governance Committee be established as a formal Committee of the Authority.

(ix) That the Authority appoints 7 Members (4:2:1) to the new Governance Committee, together with a Chairman and Vice-Chairman and the Treasurer be asked to investigate and report to the next meeting of the Authority on the co-option of appropriately qualified independent member(s) to the new Committee.

(x) That the terms of reference of the new Committee as set out in paragraph 5.2 be adopted.

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Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose 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.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works.

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

TITLE FILE

None None

Appendix 1

CURRENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

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