Agenda item

That Full Council approves the matters set out in paragraph 5 of this report.

Full Council considered a report on the Committee Model of Governance Working Group Update.

Councillor Jenny Bartle moved the report and recommendations. Councillor Geoff Gollop seconded the report.

Following debate, upon being put to the vote, the recommendations were APPROVED and it was:

RESOLVED: That Full Council approves the matters set out in paragraph 5 of this report.

5.1. Local decision making will continue to take place through Area Committees, noting that the final detail relating to the role and responsibilities of Area Committees will be the subject of further work by a Sub-group, which will report back to the Working Group in the Autumn.

5.2. The terms of reference for a Policy Committee will cover the matters set out in Appendix A.

5.3. A standing Finance Sub-committee will be established as a sub-committee of the Strategy and Resources Committee. It will be responsible for the development of the Council’s annual budget which will be presented to the Strategy and Resources Committee and then Full council for approval. There will remain a need for private Task and Finish meetings to take place as part of the formal budget development cycle. This Sub-committee will also have responsibility for crosscutting financial monitoring. These arrangements will be reflected in the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules.

5.4. A Health Scrutiny Sub-committee will be established as a Sub-committee of

the Public Health and Communities Committee. It will be responsible for the exercise of the statutory scrutiny functions under sections 244 and 245 of the National Health Service Act 2006 and the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013.

5.5. The Policy Committee Procedure Rules will cover the matters set out in Appendix B.

5.6. The Escalation Panel Procedure Rules will cover the matters set out in Appendix C.

5.7. Forward Plans for the Policy Committees will be published at least 28 days in advance of the first meeting of each Policy Committee and on a rolling monthly basis thereafter. Forward Plans for the Policy Committees will be prepared through regular cross-party work programme setting and in consultation with the Chair and Vice-chair of the relevant committee through Policy Committee Chair/Vice-chair briefings. Action and decision logs from Policy Committee Chair/Vice-chair briefings will be maintained and these will be shared with all members of the relevant committee. Forward Plans will include decisions that will need to be taken that are above the financial threshold and decisions that are ‘significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in two or more wards in the city’, items of business that roll over from the current scrutiny work programmes and standard items of business for noting, such as risk reporting, financial management reports and performance reports.

5.8. The arrangements for Member Forum will continue under the Committee Model of governance. Councillors will be able to ask questions of the Leader of the Council or the Chair of a Policy or Regulatory Committee.

5.9. Policy Committees will have the ability to have debate petitions where a petition has reached a signature threshold of 1,000 signatories.