Agenda item

Report attached.

The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, the Leader of the Council, regarding the establishment of Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups for the 2024/25 Municipal Year and the appointment of members to those Committees and Groups.

The Leader briefly introduced the report and invited councillor Zak Khan, Leader of the Conservative group, to confirm the Opposition’s nominations to the various seats available.  Councillor Khan agreed to bring these names to a future meeting of the Cabinet.

Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

In June 2015, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013).  The Cabinet Committee’s role was to determine whether to grant, renew, revoke or vary scrap metal licences pursuant to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, where the applicant or licensee (as the case might be) had informed the Council that they wished to make oral representations.  Meetings took place only as and when required, but this body was needed to enable compliance with statutory requirements.

In December 2017, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Street Naming).  The Cabinet Committee met from time to time and discharged the Council’s functions in respect of the naming and renaming of streets pursuant to Sections 17 and 18 Public Health Act 1925.

In June 2015, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Waste and Recycling Group.  That body acted in an advisory capacity to Cabinet and did not have any delegated or decision making powers.  This Group continued to meet on a regular basis and provided oversight of certain aspects of the Council’s Waste Services.

On 21 September 2022, Cabinet had established the Net Zero Working Group.  The Working Group’s remit was to support the work of Cabinet in addressing climate change, but it did not have any delegated or decision making powers.  The Group was currently active.

The terms of reference for all of the bodies mentioned above were appended to the report.  It was proposed that these bodies continue into 2024/25, with the membership as shown below.  The formal Committees must only comprise councillors who were Cabinet Members:

Councillor Zak Khan enquired if the controlling group intended to continue to run the Economic Policy Forum.  He explained that, in his experience, businesses liked continuity of support and it was important to continue to reach out to them.  Councillor Dad undertook to look into the continuation of this group.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

None were considered, although the Cabinet could decide to create new, or disestablish existing committees or working groups, as it saw fit.  It could also decide not to make appointments to any of the approved panels and groups for the time being.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Cabinet agrees to the establishment of the Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups, as set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report, and with the terms of reference, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(2)   That the membership of the Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups, as set out in the above table, be approved.