Membership of the Local Government Association

Report: 18
Date: 19 April 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This report confirms that the MPA has now joined the Local Government Association (LGA) as a police authority in corporate membership and invites nominations to various LGA bodies.

A. Recommendations

The Authority is requested to consider appointing member representatives to all or some of the following LGA bodies for 2001/02:

• the General Assembly (up to four members);
• Police Authorities in Corporate Membership Group (up to four members);
• appropriate Policy Review Groups; and
• the Urban Commission (up to two members or one member and one officer).

B. Supporting information

At its February 2001 meeting, the MPA agreed to become a corporate member of the LGA, for one year in the first instance, at a cost of £11,342. Membership became effective on 1 April 2001.

Included in the LGA's information and advice service will be twice weekly mailings of LGA circulars, agendas and other publications. All MPA members will receive a copy of First, the LGA's weekly magazine. The MPA is entitled to appoint member representatives to serve on all or some of the following LGA bodies.

The General Assembly

This meets twice a year. The AGM will be held on 3 July in Harrogate and is followed by the LGA Conference on 4, 5 and 6 July (although, of course, members can just attend the AGM). The following meeting will be on 19 December in London.

The MPA is entitled to appoint up to four members to the Assembly. Where police issues are being discussed, these members can exercise a total of 17 votes. On other issues the MPA will have one vote. If an appointed member is unable to attend a meeting a substitute can be appointed in advance. The MPA can also send observers to the AGM – these can be either members of officers.

Police Authorities in Corporate Membership Group

This Group meets two to three times a year. It consists only of police authority representatives and is particularly useful for discussing issues of common interest and exchanging experiences.

The following police authorities are corporate members of the LGA: Cleveland, Derbyshire, Durham, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumbria, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

The MPA can appoint four representatives and substitution is allowed.

The next meeting is on 16 May at 10.30am at Local Government House.

Policy Review Groups (PRGs)

There are a number of PRGs which meet to consider particular issues or areas. Their work feeds into the 16 Executives which the LGA has set up to cover the main policy areas.

There are PRGs for: cultural services; education; environment & regeneration; European an international; fire; housing; human resources; public protection (e.g. environmental health/trading standards etc); rural; social affairs and health; social inclusion; strategy and finance; tourism; and waste and environment management.

Of these, the LGA suggests that MPA members might find the social inclusion PRG of most interest as it includes a crime and community safety dimension.

There is no specified number of members that could be appointed, although one representative on a PRG would seem adequate. An alternative to appointing a member now would be to nominate one or more members to receive the papers for one or more PRGs so that they can assess the relevance for the MPA.

Urban Commission

The LGA have an Urban Commission and a Rural Commission. These provide a focus for the particular needs and concerns of urban and rural communities. The Urban Commission meets twice a year and the next meeting is on 30 July at Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall.

The MPA can appoint up to two members, or one member and one officer to the Urban Commission. Voting rights are dependent on whether issues being discussed have a policing dimension.

C. Financial implications

Where members are appointed as a representative of the MPA on an LGA body, they will be eligible for payment of allowances as provided for in the MPA's scheme of members' allowances.

D. Background papers

• Report to full Authority - Membership of the Local Government Association - 8 February 2001
• Letters from LGA dated 23 February and 26 March

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Simon Vile, Head of Secretariat.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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