The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management requested the Cabinet, in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions and terms of the Constitution, specifically Standing Order 24, to make recommendations to the Council in respect of the appointment of the Leader of the Council and the membership of the Cabinet and the various committees for the municipal year 2009/10. The Cabinet was advised of the appropriate numbers of committee places for each political group, in line with the rules relating to proportionality.

On a motion by Councillor Foulkes, seconded by Councillor Holbrook, it was –

RECOMMENDED -

(1) Cabinet is mindful of its responsibility to choose an administration capable of providing the strong and stable governance needed to protect the interests of the people of Wirral and deliver the long term growth and investment needed to create an equal, healthy and prosperous borough.

(2) Cabinet believes that the Labour / Liberal Democrat administration has for the last two years provided this strong and stable governance as evidenced by the following:

(i) the improvement in Wirral Council’s finances through sound financial management and the delivery of a sustainable budget, enabling Wirral Council better to:

protect and support the people of Wirral from hardship during the economic recession;

withstand any further Government spending limitations arising from the continuation of the economic recession;

and at the same time meet its increased and growing obligations to protect the most vulnerable;

(ii) the Council’s new Corporate Plan and Vision for Wirral, which aims to ‘create a prosperous and more equal Wirral, providing opportunities and an excellent quality of life for all’, and which includes in its priorities the creation of an excellent Council;

(iii) Wirral’s ambitious Investment Strategy which aims to increase economic activity in the borough;

(iv) the strong improvement in the Council’s environmental performance through the significant increase in its recycling rate and its measures to reduce its carbon footprint to tackle climate change;

(v) the acknowledgement of the above by the Audit Commission with an award of 3-stars and ‘improving well‘, taking Wirral from its previous ‘weak’ 2-star rating during the period of the 3-party administration;

(vi) the investment in support for businesses during the economic downturn and the investment in the economic future of the borough through the creation of the Wirral Wide Apprenticeship Programme;

(vii) the above-average success rates in Wirral schools and the proposed creation of three new Academies on Wirral, a brand new secondary school in Woodchurch and two brand new primary schools.

(3) Therefore Cabinet proposes that, in recognition of the above, and in view of the fact that there have been no changes in the political balance of the Council, the arrangements set out below are recommended to Council and that those Council powers delegated to quasi-judicial and other committees are divided between the parties on a proportional basis.

(4) Council agrees that:

(i) the leader of the larger group in the joint administration, Councillor Steve Foulkes, be appointed as Leader of the Council;

(ii) the Deputy Leader of the Council be Councillor Simon Holbrook;

(iii) the Council appoint a Cabinet of ten members with the portfolios to be allocated between the two parties as follows:

Finance and Best Value - Labour.

Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning – Labour

Community and Customer Engagement - Liberal Democrat

Corporate Resources - Liberal Democrat

Culture, Tourism and Leisure - Liberal Democrat

Environment - Liberal Democrat

Housing and Community Safety – Labour

Regeneration and Planning Strategy – Labour

Social Care and Inclusion - Labour

Streetscene and Transport Services - Liberal Democrat;

(iv) the Executive Board of the Cabinet comprise the leaders and deputy leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups;

(v) subject to paragraph (vi) below, the total number of committee places (excluding those on the Standards Committee) be 119 and the places be allocated in the proportions contained within the Cabinet report;

(vi) in order to comply with the "proportionality" requirements of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, the Council approve the transfer of two committee places from the Conservative Group to the Independent member, one place being on an Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and one on a non-Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and the transfer of one committee place from the Liberal Democrat Group to the Labour Group on the Planning Committee;

(vii) nominations for the Chairs of the six new overview and scrutiny committees be agreed on the basis of 2:2:2 as follows:

Children and Young People – Conservative

Council Excellence – Labour

Economy and Regeneration – Conservative

Health and Well-Being – Liberal Democrat

Sustainable Communities – Labour

Scrutiny Programme Board – Liberal Democrat

(viii) nominations for the Chairs of the regulatory and other committees be as follows:

Audit and Risk Management - Liberal Democrat

Employment and Appointments – Labour

Licensing Act 2003 Committee – Conservative

Licensing, Health & Safety and General Purposes – Conservative

Pensions – Labour

Planning – Conservative

(ix) individual committees be strongly recommended to appoint vice-chairs to stand in whenever Chairs are not available for meetings;

(x) the names for all of the committee appointments above and committee Chairs be submitted to the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management, in order that they might be included in an appendix to the minutes of this meeting.

(5) Council notes the ongoing nominations of Diocesan and parent governor representatives on the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(6) Council requests Overview and Scrutiny Committees to consider what might now be the appropriate arrangements for co-opted memberships.

(7) That the Council seek another independent member for the Standards Committee and extend the term of office for independent members to four years, with one co-opted member retiring each year.