Agenda item

The report of the Scrutiny Officer of the Panel requests the following:

·       Members note the Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements,

·       Reconfirming the decision that future meetings of the Panel take place at Buckinghamshire Council’s Gateway House in Aylesbury,

·       Agree a protocol for the Informal Resolution Procedure on complaints made against the Police and Crime Commissioner and his officers,

·       Consider the memberships of the Panel’s Complaints Sub Committee and Budget Task and Finish Group,

·       That the established Sub-Committee and Task Group be agreed with no changes to their terms of reference for the following year (subject to any legislative changes).

·       Notes the arrangements regarding the two newly appointed Co-Opted Members of Buckinghamshire Council.

For the first meeting of the Municipal Year, the Police and Crime Panel reviews its Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements. Consideration of the Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements also reminds Panel Members, particularly new Members, of the role and functions of the Panel.

The report also requested consideration of an updated Complaints Handling Procedure as it applied to the Panel’s Complaints Sub-Committee which considers Non-Criminal Complaints against the Police and Crime Commissioner and his Deputy, where one is appointed.

Appointments were required to the Panel’s Complaints Sub-Committee, its Budget Task and Finish Group and other Task and Finish Groups if established.  

The Panel were reminded that in accordance with the Panel Arrangements (paragraph 3.15), Co-opted Members were subject to interview before confirming their appointment.

For this Municipal Year, two of the newly appointed Co-opted Members from Buckinghamshire Council were not existing Members of the Panel, so their appointments were subject to these rules. Informal interviews had taken place, but the appointments had to be confirmed by all Panel Members before they were officially appointed.

Discussion took place on the process for the four Co-Opted Members from Buckinghamshire Council. The Panel was reminded that a decision was taken at the Panel meeting in November 2019 which updated the Rules of Procedure to include the appointment of four Co-Opted Members from Buckinghamshire Council due to local government reorganisation in Buckinghamshire.

The four Co-Opted members were in addition to the one Member nomination to the Panel from Buckinghamshire Council. The changes were required in order to satisfy the requirements of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and produce a balanced panel.

The representative from Milton Keynes Council expressed concern at these arrangements and referred to the changing populations around Thames Valley, particularly in relation to Milton Keynes (population 250,000) who had one Member representative on the Panel and Buckinghamshire (population 535,000), who had one Member representative and four Co-Opted Member representatives.

It was agreed that a Task and Finish Group be set up to examine the representation on the Panel, in accordance with the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, and after consultation with the Home Office.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Panel’s Rules of Procedure and Panel Arrangements (Appendices 1 and 2) be noted.

(2) That the Panel reconfirms the decision to hold future meetings of the Panel at Buckinghamshire Council’s Gateway House in Aylesbury.

(3) That approval be given to the Protocol for the Informal Resolution Procedure regarding Complaints made against the Police and Crime Commissioner and his Deputy, where one is appointed (Appendix 3).

(4) That approval of the memberships of the Panel’s Complaints Sub-Committee and the Budget Task and Finish Group be delegated to the Chair in consultation with the Panel’s Scrutiny Officer.

[Subsequent to the meeting the memberships were agreed as follows:

Complaints Sub-Committee(7) – Cllr Bains, Cllr Culverhouse, Cllr Davies, Liz Jones, Cllr McHugh, Phillip Morrice and Cllr Webber.

Budget Task and Finish Group (5)– Cllr Bradburn, Cllr McHugh, Cllr Newcombe, Cllr Patman and Cllr Rouse.]

(5) That the established Sub-Committee and Task Group be agreed with no changes to their terms of reference for the following year (subject to any legislative changes).

(6) That the appointments of Councillor Richard Newcombe and Councillor Simon Rouse as Co-Opted Members of Buckinghamshire Council be confirmed.

(7) That a Task and Finish Group looking at the Panel Membership be established, with the membership agreed by the Chair, in consultation with the Panel’s Scrutiny Officer and a draft scoping report be submitted to the next meeting of the Panel for discussion and approval.

[Subsequent to the meeting the membership was agreed as follows:

Task and Finish Group on Panel Membership (7) – Cllr Bains, Cllr Barnett-Ward, Cllr Bradburn, Cllr Carroll, Cllr Harrison, Cllr Newcombe and Cllr Winn.]