Lead member roles

Report: 12
Date: 5 December 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This report invites the committee to consider whether it wishes to make any appointments to lead member roles for subject areas within its terms of reference.

A. Recommendations

That

1. the Committee notes the basis of then lead member role agreed by the Co-ordination & Policing Committee; and
2. decides whether there are any areas of its work which would benefit from the appointment of a lead member and, if so, who that should be.

B. Supporting information

1. As part of the Authority’s review of the committee structure earlier in the year, it was agreed that the role of individual members in leading on particular issues or subject areas should be more clearly defined and formalised.

2. The Co-ordination & Policing Committee is responsible for “approving the allocation of lead roles to individual members, including their appointment to external or MPS bodies on behalf of the MPA. In doing so, the committee will determine the scope of these lead roles and will maintain a list of lead member responsibilities.”

3. At its meeting on 6 September the Co-ordination & Policing Committee considered and approved the following as a generic ‘job description’ for the lead member role, including both what the role involves and what its limits are:

• to act as champion for that particular subject area.
• 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.

4. The committee decided that lead member roles should be reviewed annually (following the Authority’s annual meeting) and that at that time lead members should be asked to produce a written report on their activities over the previous year.

5. The committee decided that individual committees should consider whether there are any specific areas within their terms of reference that require the appointment of a lead member and make those appointments from within their membership. At the end of the process, the Co-ordination & Policing Committee will allocate lead members, as necessary, to subject areas that are not specific to individual committees.

6. Prior to the Authority’s annual meeting members were asked to indicate whether they consider themselves to be carrying out a lead role on behalf of the Authority. The responses received are attached as Appendix 1 and the committee will want to consider whether or not to confirm those relevant to its terms of reference.

7. Also attached as Appendix 2 is the matrix of committee work areas that was confirmed by the Co-ordination & Policing Committee on 4 October. Members may wish to refer to this in deciding which, if any, areas require specific lead member appointments.

C. Equal opportunities and diversity implications

The principle of having individual members responsible for leading on specific subject areas is an opportunity to address equalities issues (amongst others) in a focussed way and to give emphasis to issues which are either considered important or which do not get sufficient attention in the committee process.

D. Financial implications

None.

E. Background papers

• Report 6b on Lead Member roles to Co-ordination & Policing Committee, 6 September 2002
• Report 9 on committee work areas to Co-ordination & Policing Committee, 4 October 2002

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

In June, members were asked to indicate whether they considered themselves to be carrying out a lead role on behalf of the Authority. The following responses were received:

• Asian issues: Abdal Ullah (EODB)
• Best value: Reshard Auladin (subsequently confirmed by the Planning, Performance and Review Committee) (PPR)
• Child protection: Richard Sumray (CoP and PPR)
• Community police consultative groups: Nicholas Long (Consultation)
• CRR training: Cindy Butts (EODB)
• Domestic violence: Jennette Arnold (CoP and PPR)
• Estates issues: Nicholas Long (already formally appointed by the MPA)
• Faith communities and the black majority churches: R David Muir (EODB)
• Forensic services: Sir John Quinton (MPA/CoP?)
• Independent Custody Visiting: Elizabeth Howlett, Nicholas Long and Richard Sumray (role agreed by CDO Committee in May 2002) (Consultation)
• National/international functions: Sir John Quinton (as the Home Secretary’s appointee) (MPA)
• Pension forfeiture: Cindy Butts (Human Resources)
• Public order policing: Nicholas Long (CoP)
• Road safety: Jenny Jones (CoP and PPR)
• Youth issues: Abdal Ullah and Cecile Wright (EODB)

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