Agenda item

Membership of Political Groups of the Council, Political Balance and Entitlement to Seats

To report on the establishment of political groups, the political balance of the Council and the entitlement of each group to seats on the authority’s committees.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the membership of Political Groups on the Council, the political balance and the entitlement to seats on, and the proposed appointments to Committees, Boards and Panels.

 

 It was noted that Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 placed a duty on local authorities to set out the principles to be followed when allocating seats to political groups and for these principles to be followed when determining such allocation following formal notification of the establishment of political groups in operation on the Council. It was noted further that there was a requirement on local authorities to annually review the entitlement of the political groups to seats on the committees of the council.

 

The report stated that the allocation of seats must follow 2 principles:

 

a)    Balance must be achieved across the total number of available seats on Committees; and

 

b)    Balance must be achieved on each individual Committee or body where seats are available.

 

 There were three political groups in operation on the Council:

 

Labour

Leader – Councillor Read

Deputy Leader – Councillor Cusworth

(31 Members)

 

Conservative

Leader – Councillor Z Collingham

Deputy Leader – Councillor Bacon

(13 Members)

 

Liberal Democrat

Leader – Councillor Adam Carter

(3 Members)


There were twelve non-aligned members: Councillors Beck, Bennett-Sylvester, Bower, Currie, Elliott, Harrison, Havard, Hussain, Jones, Ryalls, Sheppard and Yasseen.

There were 144 seats available on committees, boards and panels and under the calculations the Labour Group were entitled to 80 seats, the opposition Group (Conservative) 32 seats and the Liberal Democrat Group 7 seats. The seats allocated to the non-aligned councillors was 25 and the Council had previously enabled these Councillors to take seats on the various bodies as permitted by the Legislation.

During the meeting Members discussed low attendance rates for Select Commissions and were reminded that substitutions could be made. Members also discussed the merits of moving meetings to the evening. The Leader confirmed that it was for individual committees to decide their schedules but stated that in his experience, later meetings did not improve attendance rates.

Resolved:

 

1.    That the entitlement of the membership of Council be agreed and such entitlements be reflected in Council’s appointments of members to committees (as per the table at 3.2 and 4.2).

2.    That approval be given to the appointment of Members to committees, boards and panels, and the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs, as detailed in the Mayor’s Letter.

3.    That approval be given to the appointment of Members to joint committees, as detailed in the Mayor’s Letter and below:

NOMINATIONS TO COMMITTEES, BOARDS AND PANELS

Cabinet – 7L

 

Leader – Councillor Read

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People – Councillor Cusworth

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health –

Councillor Baker-Rogers

Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Safety –

Councillor Alam

Cabinet Member for Communities – Councillor Allen

Cabinet Member for Housing – Councillor Beresford

Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy –

Councillor Williams

Cabinet Member for Waste Services, Leisure and Green Spaces – Councillor Marshall

 

Audit Committee – 3L, 1C, 1N-A

 

Councillor Baggaley (Chair)

Councillor Lelliott (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Monk

 

Councillor Blackham

 

Councillor Elliott

 

Independent Members:

Alison Hutchinson

Michael Olugbenga-Bababola

Licensing Board – 11L, 5C, 1LD, 4N-A

 

Councillor Hughes (Chair)

Councillor Garnett (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Ahmed

Councillor Brent

Councillor Clarke

Councillor Harper

Councillor Monk

Councillor Robinson

Councillor Steele

Councillor Sutton

 

Councillor Thorp

Councillor T Collingham

Councillor Reynolds

Councillor Stables

Councillor Ball

 

1 x Liberal Democrat Vacancy

 

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester

Councillor Bower

Councillor Currie

Councillor Jones

 

Licensing Committee – 8L, 3C, 1LD, 3N-A

 

Councillor Hughes (Chair)

Councillor Garnett (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Ahmed

Councillor Brent

Councillor Clarke

Councillor Harper

Councillor Monk

 

Councillor Ball

Councillor T. Collingham

Councillor Stables

 

1 x Liberal Democrat Vacancy

 

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester

Councillor Bower

Councillor Jones

 

Planning Board – 8L, 3C, 1LD, 3N-A

 

Councillor Mault (Chair)

Councillor Jackson (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Ahmed

Councillor Duncan

Councillor Sutton

Councillor Taylor

1 x Labour Vacancy

 

Councillor Fisher

Councillor Thorp

Councillor Reynolds

 

Councillor Tarmey

 

Councillor Currie

Councillor Elliott

Councillor Hussain

 

Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) – 3L

 

Councillor Alam

Councillor Cusworth

Councillor Ismail

 

Staffing Committee – 3L, 1C, 1N-A

 

Councillor Alam (Chair)

Councillor Read (Vice Chair)

1 x appropriate Cabinet Member as determined by the matter to be considered

 

Councillor Z Collingham

 

Councillor Jones

 

Standards and Ethics Committee – 5L, 2C, 1N-A

 

Councillor Clarke (Chair)

Councillor Harper (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Cowen

Councillor McKiernan

Councillor Lelliott

Councillor T Collingham

Councillor Hall

 

Councillor Currie

 

Parish Councillor Mark Senior

Parish Councillor Anthony Griffin

Parish Council Representative Vacancy

 

Independent Members:

Mrs. Adela Bingham

Ms. Kate Penney

Ms Ruby Wright

Vacancy x 2

 

Independent Persons:

Mr. Phil Beavers

Mr. David Roper-Newman

 

Overview and Scrutiny Management Board – 7L, 3C, 1LD, 1N-A

 

Councillor Steele (Chair)

Councillor Bacon (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Baggaley

Councillor Keenan

Councillor Lelliott

Councillor McKiernan

Councillor Monk

Councillor Sutton

 

Councillor Blackham

Councillor Tinsley

 

Councillor A Carter

 

Councillor Yasseen

 

Health Select Commission –10L, 4C, 1LD, 3N-A

 

Councillor Keenan (Chair)

Councillor Yasseen (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Ahmed

Councillor Brent

Councillor Clarke

Councillor Duncan

Councillor Garnett

Councillor Harper

Councillor Ismail

Councillor Knight

 

Councillor Baum-Dixon

Councillor Fisher

Councillor Reynolds

Councillor Thorp

 

Councillor Tarmey

 

Councillor Harrison

Councillor Havard

 

Improving Lives Select Commission – 10L, 4C, 1LD, 3N-A

 

Councillor Monk (Chair)

Councillor Sutton (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Brent

Councillor Clarke

Councillor Garnett

Councillor Harper

Councillor Hughes

Councillor Ismail

Councillor Robinson

 

Councillor Blackham

Councillor T Collingham

Councillor Fisher

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester (Gifted)

 

Councillor Currie (Gifted)

 

Councillor Bower

Councillor Elliott

Councillor Ryalls

 

Co-optees

 

Lauren Hickey

Mike Hemmingway

James Newman

 

Improving Places Select Commission – 10L, 4C, 1LD, 3N-A

 

Councillor McKiernan (Chair)

Councillor Tinsley (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Adair

Councillor Cowen

Councillor Garnett

Councillor Jackson

Councillor Lelliott

Councillor Mault

Councillor Rashid

Councillor Taylor

1 x Labour Vacancy

 

Councillor Castledine-Dack

Councillor Stables

Councillor Thorp

 

Councillor C Carter

 

Councillor Beck

Councillor Jones

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester

 

Introductory Tenancy Review Panel – 2L, 1C, 1N-A

 

Chair and Vice Chair to be drawn from members of the Improving Lives Scrutiny Commission or Improving Places Scrutiny Commission

 

Councillor Sutton (Chair)

Councillor Jackson (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Tinsley

 

Councillor Ryalls

 

Joint Consultative Committee – 3L, 1C, 1N-A

 

Councillor Alam (Chair)

Councillor Cusworth (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Steele

 

Councillor Z Collingham

 

Councillor Elliott

 

Health and Wellbeing Board – 2L

 

Councillor Baker Rogers (Chair)

Councillor Cusworth

 

Councillor Ismail (Observer)

 

 

JOINT AND COMBINED AUTHORITIES

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board 1L

 

Councillor Read

Councillor Williams - Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Rotational Member 1L

 

Councillor Cusworth

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Audit, Standards and Risk Committee 1L

 

Councillor Baggaley

Councillor Lelliott - Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1L, 1C

 

Councillor Steele

Councillor McKiernan - Substitute

 

Councillor Bacon

Councillor Baum-Dixon - Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Employment Panel 1L, 1 C

 

Councillor Steele

Councillor Bacon

 

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority 1L, 1C

 

Councillor Taylor

Councillor Ball

 

South Yorkshire Pension Authority – RMBC Chair for 26/27 1L, 1C

 

Councillor Sutton (S41 responsibilities)

Councillor Fisher

 

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel 1L, 1C

 

Councillor Ismail

Councillor Baum-Dixon

    Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation Joint Committee 1L

Councillor McKiernan

Vacant - Substitute

Mover: Councillor Read                                 Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

 

Supporting documents: