The Head of Legal and Member Services presented a report and appendix by the Head of Neighbourhoods and Engagement informing of amendments to the Council’s Constitution in relation to Constituency Committees.

The Committee noted that an amended Article 10 of the Council’s Constitution had been approved by the Council at its meeting on 30 April 2013.  This had put in place the necessary provision for the appointment of Constituency Committees and for those Committees to discharge such functions as may be delegated to them from time to time by the Executive and/or the Council. It had also set out the scope of the Constituency Committee’s role in acting as a voice for the community with respect to a range of matters including the development of an area plan and making recommendations to the Executive on any funding allocated to the Committee.

The Committee also noted that the Council, at its meeting on 14 October 2013, had formally appointed Members to all four Constituency Committees and had made provision for each one to co-opt up to six community representatives.

The report set out considerations and a proposed approach for further developing an individual terms of reference for each Committee and for amending the Council’s Constitution to ensure that Article 10 was fit for purpose for the future operation of the constituency working model.

It was proposed that:

·  A future review of the Council’s Constitution included an updated Article 10 relating to the terms of reference for the Constituency Committees, which both provided further clarity on the decision-making powers of the Committees as services and budgets were devolved, and ensured that all Committees had the scope and flexibility necessary to drive forward the constituency working model and deliver the functions increasingly devolved to them;

·  The Committee developed a committee procedure rules ‘handbook’ which sets out over and above the terms of reference in the Council’s Constitution how it would operate. The handbook might include sections on:

o  Aims of the Committee in respect of the role it wishes to take in the local area;

o  Specific committee procedures relating to the operation of meetings;

o  How the Committee would be supported by Council officers;

o  Specific provisions dealing with the role of the Chair, Vice Chair, community representatives;

o  The role of the Committee in influencing the contribution of partners;

o  Meetings;

o  Agreed arrangements/procedures for dealing with budget allocation and expenditure; and

o  The process and criteria for establishing constituency ‘Task and Finish’ Groups.

The Wirral South Constituency Manager outlined a proposed approach for the Task and Finish Groups and their terms of reference, including the suggestion that they should consist of five Elected Members, one from each ward, together with two community representatives.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the proposed approach outlined in paragraph 3.1 of the report be agreed; and

(2)  an Elected Member led ‘Task and Finish’ Group be established of five Members, one from each ward (Councillors P Gilchrist, A Hodson, C Muspratt, C Povall and J Williams (Members will send a substitute to meetings if they are unable to attend)), plus two community representatives, to develop the Committee’s Handbook and to make recommendations on any amendments required to Article 10.