Issue - meetings

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority - Final Governance Arrangements

Meeting: 08/12/2016 - Cabinet (Item 65)

65 LIVERPOOL CITY REGION COMBINED AUTHORITY pdf icon PDF 123 KB

Further to minute 71 (Council - 14 November, 2016), the Council is requested to consider the report of the Chief Executive on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the draft Orders.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

PhilDavies

Councillor Phil Davies, Leader of the Council, said:

 

“Following the devolution deal agreed in November 2015, the Liverpool City Region has the opportunity for a major transfer of resources, powers and responsibilities from Government, alongside governance changes to adopt a directly elected LCR Mayor.

 

This report outlines the final legal and governance requirements to establish the new devolved powers and functions”.

 

Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report that outlined the final legal and governance requirements to establish the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) Mayoral Model with the devolved powers and functions agreed as part of the Devolution Deal in November 2015.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the LCR Order as detailed in the revised Appendix 3  to the report (as circulated at the Council meeting on 6 December 2016) which sets out the powers to be devolved to the LCRCA and directly elected Mayor be agreed;

 

(2)  delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive to agree, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the two opposition Political Group Leaders, minor amendments with Government and subsequently provide confirmation of Wirral Council’s formal consent to Government in respect of the LCR Order;

 

(3)  the governance principles, previously agreed by the Council and LCRCA in November 2015, that will form the basis of the revised LCRCA constitution be noted and reaffirmed; and

 

(4)  the scrutiny principles as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report be agreed and it be noted that these will be incorporated into the revised LCRCA constitution.


Meeting: 06/12/2016 - Council (Item 78)

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Further to minute 71 (Council - 14 November, 2016), the Council is requested to consider a report of the Chief Executive on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the draft Orders.

 

The amendment from the Liberal Democrat Group from the November meeting will form part of the supplementary agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to minute 71 (Council - 14 November, 2016), the Council was requested to consider a report of the Chief Executive on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the draft Orders.

 

The Mayor invited Councillor Phil Davies to address the Council.

 

The Leader informed that the report outlined the most recent legal and governance requirements to establish the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) Mayoral Model with the devolved powers and functions agreed as part of the Devolution Deal in November 2015. He further informed that a revised version of the draft Order had only been received that day, copies of which had been placed on Members’ benches.

 

The Leader further informed that a revised amendment (Liberal Democrat Group) and a second amendment (Conservative Group) in relation to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the draft Orders had also been placed on Members’ benches.

 

The Assistant Director: Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) highlighted the variations between the circulated document and that contained in the Council Summons. 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

On a motion by Councillor Phil Davies, duly seconded, it was

 

Resolved – That the Council adjourn for 10 minutes (until 5:50pm) in order to consider the above mentioned variations to the Order and tabled amendments.

 

RECONVENED COUNCIL MEETING

 

It was moved by Councillor Phil Davies and seconded by Councillor George Davies that the Liverpool City Region Devolution – Order Terms as revised, be RECOMMENDED TO CABINET for approval.

 

The two amendments were then tabled in accordance with Standing Order 12(1) and (9), as follows:

 

First Amendment

 

Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Leslie Rennie

 

“Insert new paragraph (a)

 

(a) Council welcomes the trust the government is demonstrating in local government with its commitment to devolution deals up and down the country. Council further welcomes the significant devolution of resources from central government to the Liverpool City Region (LCR) - £900 million over thirty years, and the areas given competence to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA):

 

·  Economic Development

·  Transport

·  Skills and Employment

·  Housing and Spatial Planning

 

Re-name remaining paragraphs (b) – (f)

 

Delete paragraph (f) and insert new paragraph (f): Council believes that the LCRCA must be an organisation that works on behalf of all citizens of Merseyside and that any devolution of power and budget to the City Region must be balanced by providing a direct opportunity to hold those with authority accountable and open to effective scrutiny. 

 

Council does not believe the current arrangements as set out in Appendix 2 are sufficiently inclusive and will not hold the Mayor to account. Council therefore calls on the Leader of the Council to refer the scrutiny principles back to the LCRCA for review so that the new scrutiny principles will take account of the views of all elected representatives from all the constituent authorities.”

 

and;

 

Second Amendment

 

Proposed by Councillor Phil Gilchrist

Seconded by Councillor Dave Mitchell

 

“(a) Notes the next steps required for the implementation of the LCR Devolution Agreement;

 

(b) Considers the draft  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78


Meeting: 14/11/2016 - Council (Item 71)

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Report of the Chief Executive

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Civic Mayor invited the Leader of the Council to update the Council on developments with regard to the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Combined Authority.

 

The Leader informed the Council that as late as Saturday draft Orders were received from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and it was considered that further work was required to ensure that they reflected the devolution deal agreed by the LCR Combined Authority and the constituent Local Authorities. This was entirely the fault of the DCLG who had published these Orders late and had consequently extended the deadline to 12 December, 2016 for the Orders to be laid before Parliament. He therefore proposed that the matter be deferred to a future Extraordinary Council meeting.

 

Councillor Jeff Green welcomed the proposed deferral and enquired what would happen with the Liberal Democrat amendment which had been circulated around the Council Chamber.

 

Councillor Gilchrist requested that his amendment be carried forward to the re-arranged meeting and expressed misgivings at the DCLG’s confirmation that the matter of approving the draft Orders was an Executive decision.

 

The Leader responded that all Political Groups could submit amendments for the future re-arranged meeting and that, although the matter would be a decision for the Cabinet to take, he considered it appropriate that the Council as a whole should have the opportunity to consider significant matters involving the LCR.

 

On a motion by Councillor Phil Davies, seconded by Councillor George Davies, it was –

 

Resolved (59:0) (One abstention) – That –

 

(1)  Council notes that the draft Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Functions and Amendments Order 2016 was only received by Council officers on Friday evening, 11 November, 2016 after normal business hours; and two further draft Orders on Saturday, 12 November, 2016. That having reviewed the draft Orders, it is considered that further work is required to ensure that they reflect the Devolution Deal agreed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the constituent Local Authorities in November, 2015;

 

(2)  Council further requests that a further report on the draft Order(s) be submitted to a future Extraordinary Council meeting to be convened as soon as practicably possible;

 

(3)  Council acknowledges that this action will not comply with the original Government timetable to lay the draft Order before Parliament after 21 November, 2016; however, understands that this has been extended to 12 December, 2016; and

 

(4)  Council notes that the Department for Communities and Local Government has confirmed that the decision to agree the detailed terms of the draft Order(s) is an Executive decision. The Executive decision will be taken by Cabinet at its meeting on 8 December, 2016 (unless otherwise varied by the Leader of the Council).