Report of the Monitoring Officer

The Fire Authority received the report of the Monitoring Officer (MO) seeking to secure political balance on Panels in accordance with the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 and agree the resultant membership to the Panels of the Fire Authority. (Copy in Minute Book)

The Fire Authority was required to keep under review the allocations of seats on Committees and other bodies to ensure, so far as practicable, that they reflected the political groups on the Authority. The rules governing this representation were outlined in the report.

Following the elections at Brighton & Hove City Council in May 2019 there were now four political groups on the Fire Authority, namely Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat, previously there had been three. There was also one Independent Member of the Fire Authority but single members cannot constitute a political group. As a result of this increase in political groups, the allocations to panel memberships had altered with the proposed political proportionality for 2019/20 shown in Appendix 2 to the report.

The Authority agreed to the proportionality and all political groups were in the position to agree panel memberships at the meeting:

It was proposed that there might be merit in the Authority appointing the Chair of both the Policy & Resources and Scrutiny & Audit Panels at this meeting and letting the remaining Panels appoint at their first meetings. A discussion followed and whilst there was not full support for this approach it was agreed that these two appointments be made.

Cllr Peltzer Dunn was nominated as Chairman of the Policy & Resources Panel by Cllr Galley, seconded by Cllr Earl-Williams.  The nomination was uncontested and passed by a vote of 8 in favour and 1 against.

The position of Chairman of the Scrutiny & Audit Panel was contested:

Cllr Barnes was nominated by Cllr Galley, seconded by Cllr Taylor.

Cllr Lambert was nominated by Cllr Tutt, seconded by Cllr Scott.

A vote was held with the following results:

Cllr Barnes – 10 in favour and 6 against

Cllr Lambert – 8 in favour and 10 against

Cllr Barnes was duly elected as Chairman of the Scrutiny & Audit Panel for the forthcoming year.

The Authority also agreed to the appointment of the following Member Lead roles:

Health & Safety – Cllr Lambert

Assurance & Peer Review – Cllr Barnes

Inclusion & Diversity – Cllr Osborne

IT – Cllr Tutt

Estates – Cllr Peltzer Dunn

RESOLVED – That the Fire Authority:

       i.          confirmed the Panel arrangements and political representation as set out in the Report;

      ii.          agreed (with no Member voting against) that the political balance provisions shall not apply to the membership of the Principal Officer Appointments Panel; and

     iii.          appointed Cllr Peltzer Dunn as Chairman of the Policy & Resources Panel and Cllr Barnes as Chairman of the Scrutiny & Audit Panel in accordance with Standing Order 41.13 and agreed that the appointment of the Chairman of the remaining Panels be made by the Panels at their first meeting in accordance with Standing Order 41.14.