Members are asked to consider whether they have personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

Members are reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they are subject to a party whip in connection with any item(s) to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

Members were asked to consider whether they had personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

Members were reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they were subject to a party whip in connection with any item(s) to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management referred to paragraph 12 of the Code of Conduct, and advised that those members who had been called as witnesses, and who were Board members of Wirral Partnership Homes would have a prejudicial interest in the matter before the Committee. He advised therefore, that they should withdraw from the meeting after having given evidence to the Committee. Councillor Blakeley commented that it was a matter for individual members, as to whether they declared an interest, and whether or not they subsequently withdrew from the meeting.

Councillor Duffey made the following declaration –

“I have been requested to attend this meeting to provide evidence in respect of the ‘call-in’ of Cabinet minute 186.

I am not part of the decision making process in respect of this matter, I appear here today as both a Director of Wirral Partnership Homes and a Councillor of this Authority.

If I were to be determining this matter and taking the decisions, it is my view that I would have a personal interest and also a prejudicial interest in the matter that is being considered today. I say this because I am a Director of Wirral Partnership Homes and as the matter being reviewed today has a direct implication upon them, so it is my view that such an interest is likely to be prejudicial if I were making the decision.

However, I am relying upon you to make the decision after hearing evidence and information from myself and my colleague Councillor Karen Hayes as well as other witnesses”

Councillor K Hayes made the following declaration –

“I act in the same capacity as Councillor Duffey and I endorse and agree with the comments that Councillor Duffey has made”.

Councillors Harney and Roberts declared their prejudicial interest in the matter before the Committee by virtue of them being Board members of Wirral Partnership Homes and, in accordance with the officer’s advice, proposed to withdraw from the Committee after having given evidence to it.

Councillor Blakeley declared a personal interest, insofar as he had accepted hospitality from Wirral Partnership Homes, whilst in Harrogate in June 2008, attending the Annual Housing Conference. In response to a question from Councillor Blakeley, the Chair declared his personal interest, as he had also accepted hospitality from WPH at the Institute of Housing Conference.

In response to a question from Councillor Blakeley as to whether the Chair had recorded the hospitality in the register of interests maintained by the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management, the Chair indicated that he had not. Consequently, in the interest of openness and transparency, Councillor Blakeley suggested to the Chair that he should take no part in the meeting.

It was moved by Councillor Blakely and seconded by Councillor Fraser –

“That as this issue has a direct impact on local residents, the co-opted members be given the right to vote on this matter”

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management indicated that only the Council could give the right to vote to co-opted members of the Committee, and that it had not done so.

The motion was put and lost (3:4), Councillors Blakeley, Fraser and Pritchard voting in favour; and Councillors Doyle, McLachlan, Salter and Taylor voting against.