Lead member roles

Report: 5
Date: 24 Jan 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

This report informs the committee of lead member roles agreed by the Authority’s other committees. It also invites the Co-ordination & Policing Committee to decide whether it wishes to appoint any lead members for cross-cutting issues.

A. Recommendations

That the Committee

1. Notes the lead member roles agreed by the other MPA committees.
2. Decides which areas or issues relevant to the Committee or the full Authority require the appointment of lead members, including consideration of the possible areas set out in paragraph 3 below.

B. Supporting information

1. In September the committee considered and approved a report that defined the role of lead members (attached as Appendix A). In doing so it agreed that each MPA committee be invited to agree lead members relevant to that committee, with the Co-ordination and Urgency Committee considering those not specific to any committee.

2. Attached at Appendix B are the lead member roles formally agreed by committees in the November/December 2002 cycle or on previous occasions.

3. The Co-ordination & Policing Committee is now invited to consider whether it wishes to appoint any lead members for its areas of work or for those of the full Authority. In doing so, members are asked to indicate whether they are agreeable to the following proposals from individual members or committees:

• National and international functions: Sir John Quinton
• Forensic services: Sir John Quinton
• Public order policing: Nicholas Long
• Policing of football matches and other sporting events: Richard Sumray
• Health and safety: Jennette Arnold is the MPA’s lead member on the APA Health and Safety Liaison Member Network
• Road Safety: Jenny Jones has expressed an interest
• Trafficking in women: Jenny Jones has asked to be lead member for this issue
• Domestic Violence: Jennette Arnold has expressed an interest in leading on this issue
• Police Surgeons: the Consultation Committee suggested that it might be appropriate to have a lead member reflecting both Co-ordination & Policing and Consultation Committees’ involvement in this issue

C. Equality and diversity implications

The appointment of lead members is the opportunity to address equalities and diversity implications to ensure that key areas of responsibility are properly covered.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

Report that was presented to all committee meetings in the November/December cycle

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix A

The Lead Member role

• To act as champion for that particular subject area, recognising that on occasions the lead member should have the freedom to act in a scrutiny or questioning capacity. (the addition of the wording in italics was suggested by the Finance Committee)
• To be the initial point of contact for the MPS or others wishing to discuss issues informally with an MPA member or to sound out views.
• Under some circumstances, and particularly in the event of non-availability of the Chair, to act as a spokesperson.
• To contribute to policy development locally and nationally as appropriate, by representing the MPA on other bodies etc.
• Committee Chairs are by definition the lead member for those areas in their committee’s terms of reference, unless another member has been allocated a specific responsibility – in such cases it is preferable for that member to be drawn from the committee’s membership.
• Lead members do not have the authority to commit the MPA to a course of action or to make decisions on its behalf.
• In carrying out their role or speaking publicly, the lead member must promote and represent views or policies agreed by the MPA or its committees even if these are not their own views.
• Lead members have a responsibility to keep the relevant committee informed of their work by way of regular written updates, and to keep themselves informed of the key developments and issues in their lead area.
• A lead member can request briefings/information on their subject area from MPA and MPS officers (within reason in terms of the time it might take to produce a briefing).
• The lead member role does not attract a special responsibility allowance unless specifically agreed by the MPA and the general assumption is that SRAs will not apply, given that basic allowances were set at a comparatively high level to recognise such demands on MPA members.

Appendix B

Lead Member roles approved by committees

Consultation Committee

Community Police Consultative Groups and Independent Custody Visiting: Nicholas Long
Appropriate Adults: Nicholas Long

Planning, Performance and Review Committee

Response times: Lynne Featherstone
Best Value: Reshard Auladin
Child Protection: Richard Sumray

Finance Committee

IS/IT: Reshard Auladin
Estates issues: Nicholas Long

Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board

Mental health issues: Rachel Whittaker

Human Resources Committee

None formally approved by the committee.

Professional Standards and Complaints Committee

None agreed by the committee.

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