Appointments

Report: 7
Date: 29 October 2009
By: Chief Executive

Summary

This report asks the Authority to make appointments to MPA committees and to outside bodies and other representative appointments.

A. Recommendation

That

1. the current committee structure be confirmed with the exception of the merger (combining the terms of reference) of the Resources Sub-Committee and the Productivity and Performance Sub-Committee to form a single sub-committee: Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee;
2. appointments be made to the positions of chair and vice chair of committees and sub-committees (the latter being subject to confirmation at the next meeting of the parent committee) (Appendix 1);
3. appointments be made to the membership of the committees and that proposals for the membership of sub-committees be made to the ‘parent’ committees (Appendix 2);
4. the Authority reconfirms the positions of borough link member positions;
5. members be appointed to represent the MPA on outside bodies, including the appointment of Chair of the MPA Domestic Violence Board (Appendix 3);
6. all appointments be effective until the Authority’s next Annual Meeting in 2010.

B. Supporting information

1. At the annual meeting of the Authority on 25 June 2009, members resolved that as the committee structure had not yet been in place for a full year it should be reviewed in October 2009 and that all existing appointments should remain unchanged until then.

2. Consultation with members at an away day and elsewhere indicate broad agreement that the current structure is satisfactory. The only change that is suggested, following discussions between the relevant Chairs, is to merge the Resources Sub-Committee and the Productivity and Performance Sub-Committee.

Appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs of Committees

3. Members were asked, prior to this meeting, to express an interest in the positions of chairs and vice chairs of committees (the chairs and vice-chairs of the sub-committees will be appointed at the first meeting of the parent committees). Appendix 1 provides details of those members who have expressed an interest in these positions. This does not preclude members from making nominations at the meeting, but these would need to proposed and seconded. If more than one member has expressed an interest in a position then there will need to be a vote by ballot.

4. The Standards Committee appoints its own Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair of the Standards Committee must by law be one of its two external independent members.

Membership of Committees

5. Members are asked to appoint the membership of committees, as follows:

• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee
• Finance and Resources Committee
  No more than one member of the Corporate Governance Committee can sit on this committee and that member cannot be the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.
• Communities, Equalities and People Committee
• Corporate Governance Committee
  No more than one member of the Finance and Resources Committee can sit on this committee. Similarly, no more than one member of the Standards Committee can sit on this committee. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Authority and the Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee cannot sit on the Corporate Governance Committee
• Standards Committee
  The Chair and Vice Chair of the Authority cannot be members of the Standards Committee.

6. At this stage it is not proposed to have a fixed membership for Committees. However, it is considered that the first three committees need a minimum membership of seven. Equally there should perhaps be a maximum of ten members per committee or a balancing of the membership of those committees. The Corporate Governance Committee should have at least six members. The Standards Committee is responsible for handling complaints against members. The process for doing this requires the committee to have three sub-committees. Therefore, in addition to the two external independent members it would be helpful to have an MPA membership of six (ideally three assembly members and three independent members). The committee meets about twice a year unless there are cases to consider.

Membership of sub-committees

7. As a number of sub-committees meet soon after this Authority meeting it would be helpful if the Authority considered sub-committee memberships – these can then be ratified at the next meeting of the parent committee. There is no requirement for members of sub-committee also to sit on the parent committee and members are asked to consider the membership of the following sub-committees:

• CT and Protective Services Sub-Committee
• Olympic/Paralympic Sub-Committee
• Professional Standards Cases Sub-Committee
• Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee
• Citizen Focus and Community Engagement Sub-Committee
• Equalities and Diversity Sub-Committee
• HR and Remuneration Sub-Committee

11. As part of this process members were asked, prior to this meeting, to express an interest in these positions and these are attached at Appendix 2. It is also suggested that the Authority should try to achieve a balance between assembly and independent members on these sub-committees. As agreed at the last Authority meeting, the minimum expectation of members is that they should sit on at least one committee and one sub-committee.

Borough Link members

12. The Authority is asked to reconfirm the current borough link member Appointments.

MPA representation on outside bodies

13. A number of outside bodies seek MPA representation on various committee, boards and panels. Members have been invited to give expressions of interest in representing the MPA on these organisations (Appendix 3). If these cannot be filled at this meeting it is suggested that they be referred to a future meeting of the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee. Members may wish to consider whether the Authority could appropriately be represented by officers in some cases.

MPA Domestic Violence Board

14. The MPA Domestic Violence Board is open to all members of the Authority to attend. The Authority is required to appoint the Chair of the Board and officers have received a nomination that Kirsten Hearn and Valerie Brasse co-Chair this Board. Members are asked to agree this nomination.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no specific implications as a result of these recommendations.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Nick Baker, MPA

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair of committees

Sub-Committee chair and vice chairs will be agreed at the first meeting of sub-committees following this meeting

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