The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to appoint committees and the members serving on those committees for the Council year 2019-20 in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (Section 15) and other relevant legislation.

Appendices 2 and 3 will be circulated in the Briefing Note published on 10 May, and any outstanding nominations to committee seats may be announced, or agreed, as appropriate at the meeting.

Recommendations: Council is recommended to:

1.         Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee structure;

2.         Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and set out in Appendix 2: Political proportionalities on Council committees (other than those to be appointed on an ad hoc basis) 2019-20;

3.         Approve the appointment of nominated members to Council committees in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as set out in Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2019-20;

4.         Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels;

5.         Appoint three non-executive members to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel;

6.         Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (see Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2019-20).

Council had before it the report of the Head of Law and Governance setting out the appointments to committees, and separately published appendices setting out the political balance calculations, and the nominations by each group to committee places.

Revised appendices were tabled setting out the new political balance calculations and changes in the proposed memberships of committees to take account of the non-grouped independent councillors’ decisions to decline the committee seats offered to them.

The Head of Law and Governance reported the decision of the Group Leaders:

·         The Labour Group would take the unallocated seat on the Standards Committee

·         The Liberal Democrat Group would take the unallocated seat on the Audit and Governance committee

Council resolved to:

1.    Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee structure;

2.    Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and set out in Revised Appendix 2: Political proportionalities on Council committees 2019-20; and

a.    Note that the Labour Group had chosen the unallocated seat on the Standards Committee;

b.    Agree that the unallocated seat on the Audit and Governance Committee be allocated to the Liberal Democrat Group

3.    Approve the appointment of nominated members to Council committees in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as set out in the table below;

4.    Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels;

5.    Appoint two non-executive members to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel as shown in the table below;

6.    Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee as shown in the table below; and

7.    Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to fill appointments to any vacant seats in accordance with the instructions of the relevant Group Leaders.