Agenda item

Governance Review

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/185

Contact: Colm Ó Caomhánaigh, Committee Officer Tel: 07393 001096

Report by Director of Law & Governance (CA9).

Following a Council motion to consider changing to a committee structure of governance, Cabinet set up a Governance Review Task Group to examine this as well as considering potential improvements to the current system.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a) endorse the proposal to move to a ‘hybrid’ system of governance;

(b) request the Governance Review Task Group to draw up a specific proposal for Cabinet’s consideration based on the following design features:

(i) Cabinet Committees –The membership of the Committees should be politically proportional;

(ii) Cabinet Members should attend Cabinet Committee meetings when issues in their portfolio are on the agenda. The Cabinet and Cabinet Members would still need to make the final decisions;

(iii) The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of each Cabinet Committee will be elected by the members of the Committee as usual but political group leaders should try to ensure that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman come from different political groups;

(iv) The proposal should address any improvements required in the Forward Plan process to ensure that sufficient lead time is allowed for Cabinet Committees to discuss issues at an early stage;

(v) The proposal should take into account the partnership arrangement with Cherwell District Council and the County Council’s relationships with all local authorities and partners in Oxfordshire;

(vi) The proposal should include an estimate of any changes in the overall number of Committee meetings in the new system as well as any changes to the costs in supporting meetings.

(c) request the Task Group to draw up a timetable to implement the changes within six months of a Cabinet decision on the final proposals. The change programme should include training for Members and Officers and specific training for Chairmen to ensure that the new committees encourage inclusive debate;

(d) request the Task Group to include a review mechanism 12 months after the introduction of the new system. The review should include asking Members to complete the same questionnaire that they were given at the start of this process in order to measure any improvements;

(e) request the Task Group to explore further the idea of establishing Area Committees with budgets addressing how they would relate to City and District Councils;

(f) request the Chairmen of Scrutiny Committees to ensure that time is allowed in their work programmes to discuss policy matters;

(g) request Facilities Management to draw up plans to reformat the rooms on the Members’ corridor to provide more shared Members’ facilities in the place of political group rooms.

Minutes:

Councillor Laura Price, Opposition Deputy Leader, welcomed the proposals before Cabinet and indicated that Labour had brought the motion to Council and had supported the introduction of a committee system that they believed would bring about greater engagement and savings. However, everyone in the Task Group had agreed to consider options with an open mind. As a group they had visited other councils and been willing to listen and discuss various options. The recommendations were a positive move for Oxfordshire. The hybrid model would build on the positive aspects around the budget discussions and was part of transformation as it would embed that understanding of service. Councillor Price did not believe that a cross-party approach would undermine the opposition role as it would encourage informal debate.

Councillor Richard Webber spoke as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and member of the Task Group. He had unfortunately missed one meeting which had been the meeting that pulled together the recommendations. He was concerned that this had been done in haste. He was concerned that a hybrid model would lead to a great deal of work and please no-one. Councillor Webber expressed concern over whether the Group could be said to be genuinely independent when there were vested interests. Councillor Webber acknowledged the unhappiness with the current system and that the proposal is very much an improvement. He liked the flexibility being proposed. However, Councillor Webber felt that the recommendations were far from getting it right and more time was needed to get the new model right

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council introduced the work of the Governance Review Task Group detailing the context for the Review and noting that members had committed a considerable amount of time to the work of the Group. The work had included surveys and workshops with all members and had been an open and transparent piece of work, resulting in a unanimous set of recommendations. Councillor Heathcoat thanked everyone involved in the Task Group. Councillor Heathcoat detailed the general agreement that Councillors should be more involved and engaged in the decision-making process and noted that although there were recommendations relating to structures it was clear that some aspects could be achieved through a change of culture rather than through structural change. She commended particularly the work and proposals around localities. Councillor Heathcoat also recognised that there was a greater role for councillors in developing policy for Cabinet to consider. Done correctly this would engage all councillors in the formulation of a common approach to problems. She believed that this was already beginning to be seen in the work of the Cabinet advisory Groups and the Cherwell partnership Working Group.

Councillor Heathcoat commented that since the report had been formulated the extent of the work on transformation had become clear. For this reason Councillor Heathcoat stated that she was reluctant to recommend the implementation of one of the main recommendations of the Task Group that concerned cabinet Committees. Although having no objection to Cabinet Committees Councillor Heathcoat felt that it was not the correct time to be embarking on significant constitutional change. She suggested that this proposal be reviewed at a future date when the Council had worked through a substantive part of the transformation programme.

Councillor Heathcoat proposed amended recommendations.

During discussion Cabinet supported the amended recommendations making the following points:

1. It was possible to change culture without the need to change structure. It was a long-term process and it was not suggested that what was suggested was the end.

2. There were examples of the change in culture evident in examples such as Councillor Brighouse being Vice-Chairman of the Cherwell Partnership Working Group.

3. The disappointment of the Task Group members was understandable but it was for Cabinet to consider and decide on the recommendations before them. It was self-evident that a lot of good work had been undertaken by the Task Group and at least 3 of the 7 substantive recommendations were being recommended for acceptance.

4. There was concern at the ability of the Council to deliver further change alongside the substantial programmes already underway.

5. Councillor Webber’s honest assessment was welcomed.

6. The role of, and work needed to support Cabinet Committees was questioned.

RESOLVED: to:

(a) Request the Task Group to explore further the idea of establishing Area Committees with budgets addressing how they relate to City and District Councils;

(b) And to give consideration to how we can better improve the work of locality groups;

(c) Request the Chairmen of Scrutiny Committees to ensure that time is allowed in their work programmes to discuss policy development matters;

(d) Request facilities management to draw up plans to reformat the rooms on the members’ corridor to provide some shared members’ facilities in place of political group rooms; and

(e) Request that the Task Group come back to Cabinet on the implementation of these changes.

Supporting documents: