The Monitoring Officer presented a report which sought approval for the appointment of Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and bodies as the Council considers appropriate, to deal with matters which are neither reserved to full Council nor are executive functions

            The Council is required by legislation and the provisions of Part 4 of the Rules of Procedure (Council Procedure Rules) of the Constitution, to undertake arrangements which will continue to facilitate and carry out the decision making processes of the Authority.  The recommendations of this report, if adopted, would seek to ensure that this will be successfully achieved.

            The Monitoring Officer advised that Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution entitled Responsibility for Council Functions, set out the Council’s Committees, Sub-

Committees, Panels and other bodies currently in place. 

The next section of the report advised of certain changes to the titles, membership, roles and responsibilities of Overview and Scrutiny Committees previously agreed by Council, and a minor change to the Audit Committees terms of reference which required approval of Council.

The updated functions of Committees were shown in Appendix 1 to the report, whilst the revised Committee structure was shown in Appendix 2 to the report.

The Monitoring Officer referred to Appendix 3 of the report that outlined the political balance of Committees.  An updated Supplementary version of this was tabled at the

meeting, as the political balance of the Council could not have been fully calculated until the outcome of the by-election in respect of the Newcastle ward on 8 May 2015

Appendix 4 of the report clarified the existing membership of Committees and would form the basis of any changes to the membership of Committees put forward by political group Leaders. These changes were also tabled for Members information.

RESOLVED:         That Council:-

(1)    Appointed the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other  Committees as the Council considered appropriate to deal with matters which are neither reserved to the Council nor are executive functions

(2)    Approved the terms and reference and size of Committees, Sub-Committees and other bodies as set out in Appendix 1 and 2 of the report, subject to the minor change of remit to the Audit Committee explained above and outlined in paragraph 4.3 of the report.

(3)    Noted the full details in respect of Appendix 3 to the report, as updated and tabled to Members at the meeting.

                                    (4)   Approved the allocation of seats to political groups in accordance with the political balance rules as set out in Appendix 3 of the report.

(5)    Approved the nominations to serve on each of the Committees, Panels and other bodies as shown at Appendix 4 to the report, subject to the changes put forward by political group Leaders, and to appoint those Councillors (and other Members) to the relevant Committees.

(6)    Received nominations and appointed the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the following Committees, Panels and other bodies (as indicated) with it being noted that the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting will appoint a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson:                    

(7)    Received the following nominations and appointed the undermentioned Chairpersons to the Overview and Scrutiny Committees:

                                    (7)     Make any necessary changes to the Constitution arising from any of the above decisions.