Agenda item

(Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Angela Taylor)

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Director of Corporate and Commercial Services in respect of committee arrangements and appointments.

 

·       To appoint committees of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (the Combined Authority).

·       To appoint or co-opt members onto the Combined Authority’s committees.

·       To appoint the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of committees of the Combined Authority.

·       To grant voting rights to some members of the Combined Authority’s committees.

·       To agree portfolio arrangements.

·       To note that Inclusivity Leads will be designated on thematic committees and on the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee.

·       To appoint Independent Persons.

 

It was reported that since publication of the agenda papers, the following outstanding appointments and nominations had been confirmed:

 

(i)       The appointment of Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe as the Chair, Councillor Tim Swift as Deputy Chair and Councillor Matthew Robinson as a member of the Governance & Audit Committee.

 

(ii)     The appointment of Helen Featherstone as Deputy Chair of the Culture,

          Arts & Creative Industries Committee.

 

(iii)     The appointment of Councillor Shabir Pandor as Chair of the Business

          Investment Panel.

 

(iv)      The appointment of Councillor Martyn Bolt (Kirklees) as the leader of the opposition on Transport Committee.

 

(v)      Councillor Neil Walshaw to replace Councillor Kayleigh Brooks on the Climate, Energy & Environment Committee.

 

(vi)     Councillor Kayleigh Brooks to replace Councillor Neil Walshaw on the Employment & Skills Committee.

 

(vii)     It was also agreed that in order to secure private sector representation on the Leeds City Region Partnership Committee that the LEP Member (Sir Roger Marsh) and the Chair of the York and North Yorkshire LEP be added as voting members.

 

In respect of scrutiny arrangements, the following appointments were confirmed:

 

(viii)    Corporate Scrutiny Committee

 

Chair: Councillor Peter Harrand

Kirklees Council have nominated Councillor Andrew Cooper as a member.

 

(ix)     Transport Scrutiny Committee

 

Chair: Councillor Amanda Parsons-Hulse

Kirklees Council have nominated Councillor Anthony Smith as a member.

 

The Authority agreed all the recommendations including the outstanding appointments, nominations and amendments outlined in (i) – (ix) above.  Any further nominations or changes to membership would be reported to the next meeting.

 

Members discussed the forthcoming internal review of the Transport Committee.  It was reported that this would be undertaken during the summer and that terms of reference and scope would be shared in advance.  Members asked that the findings be reported at the earliest opportunity.

 

Resolved:

 

(a)      That, in relation to appointment of committees –

 

(i)       That the following statutory committees be appointed with the terms of reference set out in the relevant appendix attached to the submitted report:

 

·     Governance and Audit Committee (Appendix 1)

·     Corporate Scrutiny Committee (Appendix 2)

·     Economic Scrutiny Committee (Appendix 3)

·     Transport Scrutiny Committee (Appendix 4)

 

(ii)      That the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee be appointed with the terms of reference set out in Appendix 5.

 

(iii)      That the following thematic committees be appointed with the  terms of reference set out in the relevant appendix attached to the submitted report:

 

·        Business, Economy and Innovation Committee (Appendix 6)

·        Climate, Energy and Environment Committee (Appendix 7)

·        Culture, Arts and Creative Industries Committee (Appendix 8)

·       Employment and Skills Committee (Appendix 9)

·       Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee (Appendix 10)

·       Transport Committee (Appendix 11)

 

(iv)      That the following advisory committees be appointed with the terms of reference set out in the relevant appendix attached to the submitted report:

 

·       Business Investment Panel (Appendix 12)

·       Leeds City Region Partnership Committee (Appendix 13).

 

(b)      In relation to the appointment of committee members -

 

(i)       That the Combined Authority appoints its members to the Governance and Audit Committee, as set out in Appendix 14 together with Joanna Wardman and Debbie Simpson as Independent Members of the Governance and Audit Committee for this municipal year.

 

(ii)      That the Combined Authority members set out in Appendix 14 be appointed to:

 

·       the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee

·       each of the thematic committees

·       the Business Investment Panel

·       the Leeds City Region Partnership Committee.

 

(iii)      That the members as set out in Appendix 14 and substitutes as set out in paragraph 2 of the report be appointed to the overview and scrutiny committees.

 

(iv)     That the Combined Authority co-opts members to its committees as set out in Appendix 14, and in addition appoint a substitute for each Co-optee on the Leeds City Region Partnership Committee, as set out in paragraph 2 of the submitted report.

 

(c)      In relation to voting rights for committee members, (in addition to any Combined Authority Member exercising one vote) -

 

(i)       That any Independent Member of the Governance and Audit Committee shall be a voting member of that committee.

 

 (ii)       That it be noted that any member of a Constituent Council appointed to an overview and scrutiny committee has one vote and the Authority resolves that this may be exercised in their absence by their substitute.

 

(iii)      That any Co-optee from a Constituent Council on any ordinary decision-making committee (including any thematic committee) shall be a voting member of that committee (and of any sub-committee to which they may be appointed by that committee).

 

(iv)     That any Co-optee who is Deputy Chair of a committee shall be a voting member of that committee (and of any sub-committee to which they may be appointed by that committee).

 

(v)      That any Co-optee on the Leeds City Region Partnership Committee shall be a voting member of that committee and that a vote may be exercised in their absence by their substitute.

 

(d)      That the Chairs and Deputy Chairs to committees, as set out in Appendix 14 be appointed.

 

(e)      That the portfolio arrangements as set out in paragraph 2 of the submitted report be approved.

 

(f)       That the appointments of a Lead Member, Public Transport, a Lead Member, Active Travel on Transport Committee and a leader of the opposition for the committee, as set out in Appendix 14 be approved.

 

(g)      That each thematic committee designates an Inclusivity Lead.

 

(h)      That Ian Brown and Carolyn Lord continue as Independent Persons in relation to complaints concerning allegations of a breach of the Combined Authority’s Members’ Code of Conduct on the existing terms for remuneration, until the Combined Authority’s annual meeting in 2022.

 

(i)       That the outstanding appointments, nominations and amendments set out in (i) – (ix) of minute 7 above be approved.

 

(j)       That the terms of reference for the forthcoming internal review of the Transport Committee be circulated to Members.