PAPER C

 

                                                                                                                Purpose : for Decision

 

Committee :     REPORT TO THE COUNCIL

 

Date :              12 MAY 2004

 

Title :               CHANGES TO POLITICAL PROPORTIONALITY

                       

REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUITVE OFFICER

 

IMPLEMENTATION DATE : 12 May 2004

 


SUMMARY

 

1.             To agree a new scheme on the political proportionality for Committees following the decision at the last meeting of the Council to reduce the size of Select Committees to 9 members each.

 

OPTIONS

 

2.             The legislation requires that the Council review the representation of different political groups on Committees/Panels following a number of events, one of which is when there has been a change to the size of the Committees.

 

BACKGROUND

 

3.             The political make up of the Council is unaltered as:

 

Island First:

27

Conservatives:

13

Labour:

3

Mrs Foster (True Isle of Wight Independent):

1

Mr Buckle:

1

Mr Mazillius:

1

Mr Bowker:

1

Mrs Lawson:

1

 

4.             The legislation requires that the total of all the seats on the Committees of the Council must also be in proportion to the proportions on the Council as a whole.  At the last meeting of Council the reduction in number of seats on the Select Committees effects this overall balance and the effect of the changes are as follows:

 

Island First:

 

Need to reduce all their numbers on the Selects to 5 (EXCEPT the one that the Labour Group give up a seat on).

Conservatives:

 

Need to reduce their numbers by 1 on the following Selects: Economic Dev, Education, Environment, Resources and Social Services.

Labour:

 

Need to give up seat on Fire and Public Safety and allocate another of their seats on the 4 other Select Committees too the Island First Group.

 

5.             The various changes required have been discussed with the affected Groups. The details are as set out in Appendix A although at the time of the issue of this report which Select Committee seat would be allocated to Island First from Labour had yet to be determined – but this will be available at the meeting.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

THAT the distribution of seats across the Committees be as set out in Appendix A (subject to revision at the meeting) and that the various seats be filled in accordance with the wishes of the various Groups.

 

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None.

 

 

Contact Point :  Chris Mathews, ( 823280, e-mail: chris.mathews@iow.gov.uk

 

 

M J A FISHER

Chief Executive Officer


 

 

Appendix A

April 2004

 

PROPORTIONALITY ACROSS COMMITTEES

 

 

Total No. of Seats

Island First

Con.

Labour

Mrs Foster

Mr Buckle

Mr Mazillius

Mr Bowker

Mrs Lawson

Executive (NOT Proportionate)

10

10

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Licensing

10(+3)

8

4

1+

 

1*

 

 

 

Development Control

14(+6)

11

6

1

1

 

 

 

1

Regulatory Appeals Committee

15

8

4

1

 

1*

1

 

 

Childrens Services

9

5

3

1-

 

 

 

 

 

Adult and Community Services

9

5

2

1-

 

 

1

 

 

Environment, Transport etc

9

5

3

0

 

 

 

1#

 

Economic Development etc

9

5

2

1-

 

 

 

1

 

Resources

9

5

2

1-

 

 

 

 

1

Fire and Public Safety

9

5

3

0

1

 

 

 

 

Standards

2(+3)

3

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

HR Committee

7

4

2

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

* allocated to Mr Buckle but not filled by the Council.

+ filled by Mr Mazillius on behalf of the Labour Group.

#allocated to Mr Bowker but not filled at his request.

- one of these seats to be allocated to the Island First Group – to be advised at the meeting.