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ITEM CC9(c)

COUNTY COUNCIL – 17 MAY 2005

POLITICAL BALANCE ON COMMITTEES

Report by the Head of Democratic Services

 

  1. The Council is required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. A note is attached (Annex 1) which summarises how the rules operate.

  2. A schedule is attached (Annex 2) (download as .doc file) showing the initial arithmetical product of the rules for the Council’s committees. The figures in brackets, with the explanations in the final column, show the adjustments which have been agreed between Group Leaders in order to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules.

  3. The resulting allocations are however subject to the overriding principle set out in the first bullet point under "The Allocation" in Annex 1. To give effect to this principle certain further adjustments are proposed (in the right hand column) which involve the addition of seats on certain committees to give the Majority Group the majority required by the rules.

  4. Please note also that there is a question mark over the allocation to which the Council is entitled on the Thames Valley Police Authority Appointments Committee, the constitution of which requires overall political balance across its whole membership: this may result in the adjustment of both the numbers and the political balance of each member authority’s representation. The allocation shown in Annex 2 (download as .doc file) should be viewed in this light.

  5. A further schedule is attached (Annex 3) (download as .doc file) showing the group nominations which have been received, together with the names of co-opted members where relevant. These nominations have been put forward on the basis of the adjusted memberships of the respective bodies explained in the preceding paragraphs.

    6. RECOMMENDATIONS

  6. The Council is RECOMMENDED:

(a) to confirm the political balance on committees shown Annex 2 (download as .doc file) to the report;

(b) to appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3 (download as .doc file).

C J IMPEY
Monitoring Officer

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officers: John Leverton Head of Committees Services (tel: 01865 815314)

May 2005

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