Agenda, decisions and minutes

Before inviting nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council, Councillor Zoe Patrick (the retiring Chairman) took the opportunity to reflect on her year in office as Chairman of the Council, and in particular her civic duties promoting Oxfordshire County Council and meeting a broad spectrum of staff.  She thanked her husband who had been her consort, for his support and friendship throughout the year and also her Personal Assistant and the Monitoring Officer for their support.   She then presented her personal assistant (Sara Lenihan) and her husband with small gifts as a token of her appreciation for their help and support during the Year.

Councillors Webber, Hudspeth, Brighouse and Harris paid tribute to the outgoing Chairman thanking her for her work and effort over the year.

The Monitoring Officer, Nick Graham then invited nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council for the 2018/19 Council Year.

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Hudspeth seconded that Councillor Gill Sanders be elected as Chairman of the Council for the 2018/19 Council Year.

There being no other nominations and no dissent, Councillor Gill Sanders was duly declared elected.  Upon election, Councillor Gill Sanders read out and signed the Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Gill Sanders be elected as Chairman of the Council for the 2018/19 Council Year.

The Chairman called for nominations for the office of Vice-Chairman.  Councillor Hudspeth proposed and Councillor Webber seconded that Councillor Les Sibley be elected Vice-Chairman for the 2018/19 Council Year.  There being no further nominations and no dissent, Councillor Les Sibley was declared elected.  Councillor Sibley read and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

RESOLVED:  (unanimously) that Councillor Les Sibley be elected as Vice-Chairman for the 2018/19.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2018 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 March 2018 were approved and signed subject to the amendment set out in the Schedule of Business and removing the text ‘will’ from the 2^nd paragraph of Minute 197/18 and to the additional paragraph being added:

“Councillor Bartholomew indicated that he would like the Monitoring Officer to provide advice and clarity around members asking questions under the Cabinet Report.”

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Atkins, Evans and Gawrysiak.

Council paid tribute and held a minute’s silence in Memory of former County Councillor Kenneth Frere member for Abingdon North on May 1985 to May 1992. 

Report by the Director for Law and Governance & Monitoring Officer (CC8).

The report outlines the suggested response for Oxfordshire County Council to respond to the Secretary of State and Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) recommendations in relation to the closure of consultant-led maternity services at the Horton General Hospital.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)      agree to establish a Health Scrutiny Committee with Northamptonshire and Warwickshire County Councils with the express purpose of responding to the consultation for substantial reconfiguration of consultant-led obstetric services at the Horton General Hospital;

(b)      delegate to the joint committee, this Council’s power to refer any such consultation to the secretary of state;

(c)      delegate to the Monitoring Officer and the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Chairman of Oxfordshire Joint HOSC, the power to finalise and agree the Terms of Reference for the new Joint HOSC based on the draft at Annex A.

The Council had before it a report which outlined a suggested response for Oxfordshire County Council to respond to the Secretary of State and Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) recommendations in relation to the closure of consultant-led maternity services at the Horton General Hospital.

Councillor Fatemian moved and Councillor Cherry seconded that the recommendation set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda be agreed.  Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and it was:

RESOLVED: (by 44 votes to 0, with 14 abstentions) to:

(a)      agree to establish a Health Scrutiny Committee with Northamptonshire and Warwickshire County Councils with the express purpose of responding to the consultation for substantial reconfiguration of consultant-led obstetric services at the Horton General Hospital;

(b)      delegate to the joint committee, this Council’s power to refer any such consultation to the secretary of state;

(c)       delegate to the Monitoring Officer and the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Chairman of Oxfordshire Joint HOSC, the power to finalise and agree the Terms of Reference for the new Joint HOSC based on the draft at Annex A.

The report sets out proposals for strengthening the Health and Wellbeing Board (HAWB), having taken account of the views of Board members, a wide range of partners and the views expressed recently by the Care Quality Commission.

On 10 May 2018, the Health and Wellbeing Board will be asked to endorse the proposed changes and authorise the Director of Public Health and the Director of Law & Governance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Health & Wellbeing Board to amend the Terms of Reference as necessary for approval by Full Council.

The Terms of Reference will be circulated to all members of the Council following the meeting on 10 May 2018.

Council is RECOMMENDED to approve the Terms of Reference for the Health & Wellbeing Board.

The Council had before it a report (CC ) which set out proposals for strengthening the Health and Wellbeing Board (HAWB), having taken account of the views of Board members, a wide range of partners and the views expressed recently by the Care Quality Commission, together with the terms of reference set out in the Schedule of Business for the meeting.

On 15 May 2018, the Health and Wellbeing Board considered and endorsed the proposed changes and authorised the Director of Public Health and the Director of Law & Governance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Health & Wellbeing Board to amend the Terms of Reference as necessary for approval by Full Council.

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Stratford seconded that the recommendations set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda be approved.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was:

RESOLVED: (by 33 votes to 12, with 14 abstentions)to approve the Terms of Reference for the Health & Wellbeing Board.

Report by the Director of Law & Governance & Monitoring Officer (CC10).

The Council is required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. The report sets out how the rules operate and seeks approval for adjustments which are necessary to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules.

The Council is RECOMMENDED:

(a)         to confirm the political balance on committees shown in Annex 2 to the report;

(b)         to appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3, subject to any changes reported in any amended schedule and at the meeting; and

(c)         to note the executive appointments in Annex 3 in relation to Oxfordshire Growth Board scrutiny arrangements and advisory sub groups.

The Council was required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. The Council had before it a report which set out how the rules operate and sought approval to adjustments which were necessary to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules, together with Annex 2 confirming the political balance on the committees and Annex 3(set out in the schedule of business for the meeting), showing the membership of all committees.

Councillor Gill Sanders moved and Councillor Sibley seconded that the recommendations in the report and on the face of the Agenda be adopted.

Councillor Brighouse informed the Council of the following 4 additional changes at the Meeting:

Planning and Regulation Committee - Councillor John Sanders in place of Councillor Mark Lygo.

Consultative Committee for Uniformed Members of the Fire Service – Councillor Lygo in place of Councillor Cherry;

Teachers’ Joint Committee – Councillor Pressel in place of Councillor Turnbull;

Employees Joint consultative Committee – Councillor Price in place of Councillor Banfield.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was:

RESOLVED: (nem con)

(a)         to confirm the political balance on committees shown in Annex 2 to the report;

(b)         to appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3, subject to any changes reported in any amended schedule and at the meeting; and

(c)         to note the executive appointments in Annex 3 in relation to Oxfordshire Growth Board scrutiny arrangements and advisory sub groups.

Report by the Leader of the Council (CC11) – to be published with the Schedule of Business.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regard to the functions of the Cabinet.

Under the Council’s Constitution, the Leader of the Council was required to inform the Annual Meeting of the Council of the delegations that he had made, as Leader of the Council, in relation to the functions of the Cabinet.  Council had before them a report (Annex 1 to the Schedule of Business) which confirmed that there was no change to the delegations from the previous year..

RESOLVED: (on a motion from Councillor Hudspeth, seconded by Councillor Heathcoat and carried nem con) to note the delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regards to the functions of the Cabinet.

A schedule of meeting dates proposed for the 2019/20 Council Year is attached (CC12).

The schedule has been drawn up to reflect the various rules about frequency of meetings set out in the Council’s Constitution. Attention is drawn to the following proposed change to previous patterns: on the suggestion of the Director of Finance the February budget meeting is proposed for the second rather than the third Tuesday in February. This also avoids the budget meeting being held during the half term school holiday.

Council is RECOMMENDED to agree the schedule of meeting dates for 2019/20 and in particular to agree to waive Rule 2.1 of the Council Procedure Rules to allow the February 2020 budget meeting of full Council to be held on 11 February 2020.

Council had before them a report (CC12) which sought agreement to the schedule of meeting dates proposed for the 2019/20 Council Year. The schedule had been drawn up to reflect the various rules regarding frequency of meetings set out in the Council’s Constitution.  Members’ attention was drawn to the following proposed change to previous patterns: on the suggestion of the Director of Finance the February budget meeting was proposed for the second rather than the third Tuesday in February. This also avoids the budget meeting being held during the half term school holiday.

Councillor Gill Sanders proposed and Councillor Sibley seconded that the recommendations set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda be adopted.  In moving the motion, Councillor Sanders drew members’ attention to the correction set out in the schedule of business.

The motion was the put to the vote and was carried nem con.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to agree the schedule of meeting dates for 2019/20 and in particular to agree to waive Rule 2.1 of the Council Procedure Rules to allow the February 2020 budget meeting of full Council to be held on 11 February 2020.

Report by the Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee (CC13).

The Annual Report sets out the role of the Audit & Governance Committee and summarises the work that has been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Working Group in 2017/18.

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive the report.

The Council had before them the Audit & Governance Annual Report (CC13) which set out the role of the Audit & Governance Committee and summarised the work that had been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Working Group in 2017/18.

Councillor Carter moved and Councillor Ilott seconded that Council receive the Annual report of the Audit & Governance Committee.  In moving the motion, Councillor Carter paid tribute to the Independent Chairman of the Audit Working Group, Dr Geoff Jones for all his work.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried nem con.

RESOLVED:  (nem con) to receive the report.

Report by the Director of Law & Governance (CC14)

At its Annual Meeting, Council is required to agree the officer scheme of delegation within the Council's Constitution. 

The Scheme of Officer Delegation is contained in Part 7.2 of the Council’s Constitution.  The Scheme of Delegation itself gives delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service, directors and other chief officers whose titles and/or areas of responsibility are set out in Part 2, Article 13 of the Constitution.  Copies of both Article 13 and Part 7.2 are included as annexes to this report.

Since the approval of the officer scheme of delegation at last year’s Annual Meeting (May 2017) no further changes have been necessary and no senior management reviews have occurred in the meantime. 

The Council’s Fit for the Future transformation programme, working towards a new operating model, may have implications for delegated activity later in the year but not at this time: questions of delegation would be considered as part of the governance implications of any such decisions.

At its Annual Meeting, Council was required to agree the officer scheme of delegation within the Council's Constitution. 

Since the approval of the officer scheme of delegation at last year’s Annual Meeting (May 2017) no further changes have been necessary and no senior management reviews have occurred in the meantime. 

The Council’s Fit for the Future transformation programme, working towards a new operating model, may have implications for delegated activity later in the year but not at this time: questions of delegation would be considered as part of the governance implications of any such decisions.