Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/202

Contact: Peter Clark, Head of Law & Governance Tel: (01865) 323907

Report by Head of Law & Governance (CA 12).

This report seeks the Cabinet’s views on the future support arrangements for the council’s political groups in the context of the financial challenges facing the Council.  The report outlines the responses made to a recent consultation. It also proposes several options for Cabinet to consider, to enable a recommendation to be made to full Council in January 2011.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to consider the options in this report and to make a recommendation to full Council as regards the future support to political groups.

Cabinet considered a report on the future support arrangements for the

Council’s political groups in the context of the financial challenges facing the Council. The report outlined the responses made to a recent consultation.

Councillor Jean Fooks, Opposition Deputy Leader highlighted the effects of the proposal on support for members and support for the County Council. If members lost support then they would have to do more administration and clerical duties which would take them away from their community role. It would be more difficult for council officers who currently had one point of contact for political group matters. She commented that there was some benefit to be had from having some non-political support as suggested by Option C.

Following discussion Cabinet Members commented that it was only right that in difficult financial times some of the impact was felt by councillors.

RESOLVED:                        to RECOMMEND to Council to agree that the posts of political assistant be deleted as from 1 April 2011 and all the work currently performed by the assistants be absorbed by members of the respective groups.