Minutes:
1. Ben Watts introduced this item which was intended to be an open discussion with an opportunity to exchange ideas about how Cabinet meetings could be run differently. Cabinet meeting agenda frequently featured one or two items including finance budget reporting, and one or two substantive items. When compared with Cabinet Agenda for other organisations this fell short. It was considered that KCC was perhaps not making the most of the opportunity at Cabinet meetings in bringing significant people together.
2. Mr Watts explained that items which featured on other authorities’ Cabinet Agenda included the following:
· Leader’s announcements including key policy and strategy
· Update from each Cabinet Member
· Announcements and advice from Officers on relevant issues
· Overview of consultations and decisions – present forthcoming consultations or feedback in relation to the outcomes.
· Monitor the delivery of the Capital Programme or receive strategy and vision papers.
· Equalities issues
· Items referred from Scrutiny Committee
· Final discussion of Key Decisions – in Kent arrangements were different because of the Cabinet Committee process. Whilst acknowledging that pre-scrutiny took place in Cabinet Committees there was still the opportunity for discussion at Cabinet on major decisions
· Petitions
· Outcomes in relation to the Member Fund.
3. Mr Oakford commented that there was an opportunity to make Cabinet more dynamic and to cover issues that the public might not be aware of.
4. Mr Long stated that he shared the commitment to transparency by KCC; however it was important to be conscious of the number of public meetings at which decisions were debated, made and scrutinised and to ensure that debates were not duplicated unhelpfully. It was considered important for member led decision making to stay strategic.
5. The Leader commented that consultations drew out public views and informed decision making, these should be treated transparently and discussing them at Cabinet would be a way of ensuring that this happened.
6. Mr Whiting welcomed a review of how Cabinet meetings may be constructed, openness was important, and it might be useful to take more decisions as full Cabinet, with the benefit of receiving views from cabinet colleagues. Mr Whiting suggested that Members and Officers consider allowing opposition leaders to make their points and involve them more fully in the formal Cabinet process.
7. The Leader confirmed that this suggestion would be examined and taken forward, in future scheduled meetings with the opposition group leaders; Mr Gough confirmed that he wanted to maximise genuine discussion.
8. Miss Carey considered that it was important to remember that KCC was a council of 81 members and that the Cabinet was a very small minority of its own group. She suggested that there were a number of other members who might want to be involved; however, Miss Carey stated that she didn’t want to take away from the forums which already existed. Miss Carey liked the idea of an update from Cabinet Members, Senior Officers would also be able to give their input, and she concurred that this was an opportunity to do things differently.
9. The Leader explained that when he reviewed previous Cabinet agendas, they included regular items such as financial monitoring and select committee reports, and were otherwise mixed as to what did and didn’t form part of the agenda.
10. Mr Hill supported the suggestion of allowing opposition group leaders to take part in proceedings. He also reminded Members that in the past local members were invited to Cabinet meetings to talk about a topic of their interest.
11. The Leader suggested that it was key to establish some criteria, it was important not to duplicate but it was necessary to make the meeting meaningful. It was hoped that the next meeting could be shaped in terms of this philosophy.
RESOLVED that Members and Officers consider ways in which to enhance the agenda for meetings of Cabinet.