Meeting documents

1 SUMMARY

1.1 This report addresses issues about managing the member level executive business of the Council. It includes issues about the meeting and administrative arrangements for meetings of the Council Executive (ie the term used to describe this Council's Cabinet).

2 RECOMMENDATIONS: THAT

2.1 The workplan arrangements be noted;

2.2 The dates, times and venues of meetings be agreed;

2.3 The portfolio details attached as Appendix 2 be approved, subject to any further amendments agreed by the Leader under delegated authority from the Council;

2.4 The Council Executive agrees which `whole executive' Advisory Bodies it wishes to establish, noting in particular the recommendations at paragraphs 6.4 (Equalities) and 6.7 (Trades Unions) and agrees that individual Executive Members, in consultation with Lead Officers, determine such other advisory bodies that are deemed necessary to their individual portfolio working; and

2.5 The Council Executive determine any changes to the appointments made on external bodies.

3 EXECUTIVE WORKPLAN

3.1 Attached is the first Executive Work Plan which has been published. There have been some changes made to the Plan since publication which affect the items on the meeting's agenda this time. These changes are to the timescales for the School Organisation Plan, the performance report, the action plan for the transport vision and the Norton Radstock Regeneration Company.

3.2 The Plan covers a 12 month period but is principally focussed on the next 4 months of executive business to be dealt with either by the whole Executive or by individual Executive Councillors. The legal requirement is for "key" decisions - those of significance in terms of finance or communities - to be published. The B&NES Plans will include all member level executive decisions and "key" decisions to be taken by Officers.

3.3 The Plan is an indicator only of executive business. In imposing this requirement, the Government acknowledged that it would not be possible to anticipate accurately all the detailed business so far in advance. Successive Plans will indicate changes to planned business and will announce new business. The Plan will be updated and published every month and will take effect from the beginning of each calendar month.

3.4 The legal responsibility for the Plan is that of the Leader of the Council. The Plans will be produced by the Democratic Services Manager in consultation with the Leader.

4 MEETINGS MANAGEMENT

4.1 In consultation with the Leader, and consistent with the diary circulated at the Annual Council, the Council Executive will meet in public on the following dates and at the venues listed. Meetings will start at 10.15 am.

12^th June (Bath), 10^th July (Keynsham), 4^th September (Bath), 2^nd October (Midsomer Norton), 6^th November (Bath), 4^th December (Keynsham), 2002 and 8^th January (Bath), 5^th February (Midsomer Norton), 5^th March (Bath), 2^nd April (Keynsham), 4^th June (Bath) 2003

5 SINGLE MEMBER WORKING

5.1 The Council has delegated executive responsibilities to the individual members of the Council Executive on matters falling within their portfolios.

5.2 Attached as Appendix 2 is the schedule within the Constitution which identifies the portfolios and the broad service areas covered by each.

5.3 The Leader has authority, in consultation with the Chief Executive, to determine the final scope and responsibilities covered by each portfolio holder. Those discussions are ongoing and any outcomes available at the time this meeting is held will be reported as an update.

5.4 These considerations by the Leader will in due course include the allocation of cross-cutting themes and major projects among the portfolio holders.

6 ADVISORY BODIES

6.1 Under the terms of the Constitution, the Council Executive is empowered to establish advisory bodies to assist it in the development and review of policies. In this context, it should be acknowledged that overview and scrutiny bodies also have a clear role in assisting the Council Executive with the development of policy.

6.2 With the introduction of new executive arrangements, a number of former bodies have technically ceased to exist. Some of these were formal sub committees that had a role in project management/member level monitoring (eg Spa Sub Committee, Combe Down Stone Mines Sub Committee). Some bodies fulfilled statutory functions eg Education Admissions Forum. Other bodies were less formal involving members and/or partner bodies. Some of these have an expectation of continued life. Others would naturally cease in their original form but may have a role as a re-constituted advisory body to individual executive councillors or to the whole Council Executive.

6.3 Attached as Appendix 3 is a list of all the bodies whose future needs to be determined. In terms of whole executive working, it is suggested that the issues of Equalities and Trades Union liaison might require early consideration.

6.4 On Equalities, it is recommended that a formal Executive Advisory Body be established comprising the community groups that served on the former Equal Rights Panel. Its focus would remain in addressing and monitoring the whole range of equalities matters but irs principal advisory role would be to the Council Executive through Executive Councillor (Housing & Community Safety) who would have personal attendance rights.

6.5 An alternative approach would be to rely on the Corporate Issues & Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Panel to scrutinise overall equalities compliance and other Panels to review and monitor their specific equalities perspectives. These roles could then be extended into overview and policy development.

6.6 On balance, it is recommended that the former approach will provide a better focus for relevant executive decision making and will enable the body to engage also with relevant overview and scrutiny activity. This is also a `least change' option.

6.7 On Trades Union matters, it is recommended that a formal Executive Advisory body be established comprising the Trades Unions formally recognised by the Council in the same proportions as served on the former Council-wide Joint Consultative Committee. Its terms of reference would be similar including matters of health and safety. The Leader and all Executive Councillors would have attendance rights.

6.8 An alternative approach would be the establishment of a formal Executive Advisory body with Trades Union membership as set out above but with Executive representation from the Leader and Executive Councillor (Resources Planning and Support Services). Other Executive Councillors might wish to attend depending on the nature of specific agendas. The Council Executive may also wish to consider the position of non-executive members.

6.9 Trades Unions have been consulted upon options for union liaison and consultation in the light of changes to democratic structures and favour the option set out in paragraph 6.7

6.10 On the remaining bodies listed in Appendix 3, the relevant Executive Councillor is asked to consider what action they wish to take, in consultation with the relevant lead officer.

7 EXTERNAL BODIES

7.1 Attached as Appendix 4 is a list of those external bodies to which the Council makes appointments. Those to which the individual Executive Councillor has appointment rights are shown under the relevant portfolio heading.

7.2 For the remaining bodies, the Chief Executive is authorised to make appointments in consultation with the Leaders of the 3 largest Political Groups on the Council.

7.3 For many of these bodies, the Council's appointee serves for the residue of the Council's life ie usually to July 2003.

7.4 The Council Executive needs to determine whether any change is required to the Council's representation on any of these bodies.

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This version was printed 29-May-02 5:34 PM