Agenda item

9.1

The Policy and Improvement Officer (Alice Nicholson) gave a presentation updating Members on the Governance work.  Ms Nicholson reported on the aims of the process, a proposed programme of activity and referred to the timetables in respect of the three planned evidence sessions, at the special meetings of the Committee to be held on 26^th and 28^th November and 3^rd December 2019, respectively.  She concluded by reporting that, following the conclusion of the evidence gathering sessions, a draft report would be prepared for consideration by Members at an informal meeting on 10^th December, with the final draft being published by 13^th December, for consideration by the Committee at its meeting to be held on 18^th December 2019.  The final report would then be submitted for debate to the meeting of the Council to be held on 6^th January 2020.

9.2

In response to questions raised by Members of the Committee, it was reported that every effort would be made to ensure that links were sent to Members in connection with other local authorities’ websites, with regard to their governance arrangements, if applicable.  All those organisations and individuals who would be attending the special meetings of the Committee to provide evidence had self-selected to attend. 

9.3

Members of the Committee raised the following points:-

·             It was important that Members of all political parties on the Council attended the visits to other local authorities, as part of the evidence-gathering process.

·             Members of the Committee be reminded to send colleagues appointed as reserves to meetings if they were unable to attend themselves. 

·             Details of examples where changes in governance systems at local authorities had not worked out should be forwarded to Members. 

·             It was considered that there was far too much work to be undertaken in too little time.

9.4

Nigel Slack expressed his concerns at the potential for a lack of an in-depth conversation with the public given the very short timescale.  He was, however, hopeful that, following the work of the Committee, a robust report would be drafted, and would hopefully receive support from all parties.

9.5

The Committee notes the information reported as part of the presentation, the information now reported and the comments now made.