The Director of Law and Governance submitted a report in respect of the appointment of Members to the Licensing Panel and the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee.

It was reported that the Terms of Reference of the Regulatory and General Purposes Committee as contained in the Council’s Constitution (approved by Council on 24 May 2023), required this Committee to appoint five of its members, politically balanced, to the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee which has responsibility for discharging the Council’s functions as corporate trustee of The Wirral Borough Council Mayor’s Charity.

It was further reported that the Terms of Reference as amended at Council on 24 May 2023 also allowed for the convening of Licensing Panels of between three and five Members of the Regulatory and General Purposes Committee, exempt from political balance but not formed solely by members of one political Group, with the responsibility for the Council’s functions to deal with applications, determinations and reviews of licences or registrations and any related matter, in respect of any licensed activity that is the responsibility of the Authority (other than under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Gambling Act 2005).

Members were advised that to allow effective management of applications, etc within relevant statutory timescales or otherwise in a timely manner, where the required decision was outside of officer delegated powers, a Licensing Panel could be convened consisting of between three and five Members of the Committee to consider and determine the matter.  The setting up and running of Panels is an administrative function managed by the Council’s Democratic Services Team and it was proposed to Members that they delegate authority to the Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) to convene such Panels as and when required in consultation with the Chair and Spokespersons.

The allocation of five seats on the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee would be 2 Labour, 1 Conservative, 1 Green and 1 Liberal Democrat and it would be for the political groups to decide who they wished to nominate to the places on the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee allocated to their group.

On a motion by Councillor Brenda Hall and seconded by Councillor Chris Cooke it was –

Resolved –

(1)  That the Terms of Reference of the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee and the Licensing Panel as referred to in paragraphs 1.1 to 1.3 of the report be noted.

(2)  That the Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) be authorised to carry out the wishes of the Group Leaders in allocating Members to membership of the Charitable Trusts Sub-Committee and to appoint those Members with effect from the date at which the proper officer is advised of the names of such Members.

(3)  That the Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Chair and Spokespersons, to convene Licensing Panels as and when required for the purposes of carrying out the Council’s functions to deal with applications, determinations and reviews of licences or registrations, and any related matter, in respect of any licensed activity that is the responsibility of the Authority (other than under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Gambling Act 2005) and that it be agreed that the term of membership be continued until such time as a new Regulatory and General Purposes Committee is appointed.