Agenda item

Members are invited to consider the proposed appointees for serving on other organisations for the forthcoming year.

The Committee was reminded that the Council made appointments to a large number of other organisations, some statutory, others voluntary.  Since the new executive governance arrangements came into force, responsibility for making some appointments had passed from the Governance Committee to the Leader of the Council but the Constitution provided that it was for this Committee to make recommendations to the Leader.

The Committee first considered executive Member appointments to external bodies.  All were confirmed apart from the Thames Gateway London Partnership which the Leader confirmed as being defunct and replaced by the East and South East London Transport Partnership. 

The Committee then considered those appointments for which non-executive Members were nominated. 

Changes were made to the appointments in the report:

·        Havering Sixth Form College.  It was recommended that Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson should replace Councillor Steven Kelly

·        Joint O & S East London Solutions.  Councillor Rebecca Bennett is appointed as the representative of this new body with Councillors Wendy Brice-Thompson, Frederick Thompson and Robbie Misir to be added as deputies.

·        Romford Combined Charity.  Wilf Mills was re-appointed as a Nominated Trustee to take effect from 3 November 2012 until 3 November 2016.

Concerning the Orchard Village Neighbourhood Management Board, the Chairman announced that he had received a communication from Councillor Rebecca Bennett to the effect that she was concerned she might not be able to fulfil her appointment due to personal circumstances.  The Leader responded by saying that he had proposed her name and that the proposal stood until she formally resigned from it.

A Member raised a question about the membership of the Board reminding the Committee that due to unfortunate circumstances there had been a loss of one of the Ward councillors and that the position had been filled by a Cabinet Member.  He stated that this had not been acceptable at the time and that the Committee ought to replace the Cabinet Member with the third Ward councillor.

The Chairman invited the Member to propose a replacement and Councillor Michael Deon Burton’s name was put forward.  There being no seconder to this proposal, the amendment fell and the proposed membership of the body was confirmed.

The Committee:

1     (a)     Determined the appointments to the organisations referred to in the appendix to this minute for the period until the meeting that dealt with appointments for the municipal year, 2012/13 (or such other period as may be relevant in any specific case).

(b)     RECOMMENDED to the Leader that where the appointment was executive the Committee make that appointment.

2        Confirmed that where the Council’s representative (or any deputy or alternative representative where applicable) was unable to attend a particular meeting and the constitutional arrangements of the body in question so permitted; that representative might mandate the Chair of the meeting to exercise a proxy vote.

3        Confirmed that the Council’s voting rights at the General Assembly of the Local Government Association should be exercised by Councillor Michael White (4 votes) and Councillor Clarence Barrett (1 vote) (or their respective nominees in the event either was unable to vote in person).