Committee details

This Committee is responsible for:

(a)  developing the role of Members, particularly within their local community,

(b)  keeping the Constitution under review and making recommendations to Council on any changes that may be required,

(c)  when asked by the Executive, contributing where appropriate to the development of the Council’s response to developments in government policy impacting local democracy as a whole (e.g., local government reform),

(d)  keeping the Committee structure under review and making recommendations to Council as and when necessary, on the number, names, terms of reference, size and political proportionality of Committees,

(e)  making recommendations to Council as and when necessary, on the political proportionality of the Council’s representation on other authorities, joint Committees and partnership bodies,

(f)   the removal of Local Authority Governors to school governing bodies,

(g)  the removal of Local Authority nominees to the Management Committees of Pupil Referral Units (PRUs),

(h)  the removal of Local Authority governors to Academies,

(i)    for making or arranging the following appointments and nominations:

i.      Parent Governor Members of Council Committees,

ii.    independent appeal Panels (school admissions and exclusions),

iii.   independent members of Social Services Complaints Review Panels,

iv.   the selection Panel for the Independent Person and members of the Member Remuneration Panel,

v.    any other non-Council Members on Council Committees,

(j)    making appointments and nominations on behalf of the Council to serve on outside bodies (except those needing to be made by the Leader in connection with a delegation by them of their functions, the list of those appointments to be agreed between the Leader and the Committee from time to time),

(k)  monitoring expenditure on Members allowances, expenses and services, and any Members’ Grants Schemes,

(l)    overseeing all Member accommodation, facilities and support services, including conferences, training, secretarial and other Officer support, and making recommendations to the relevant Cabinet Member, as appropriate,

(m)agreeing arrangements for Member attendance at conferences,

(n)   determine requests from a lead petitioner for a review of the Council’s response to a petition in accordance with Petition Scheme,

(o)   to receive reports from the Committee’s Member Development Sub-Committee, and

(p)   to receive reports from informal Member Working Groups where they do not report elsewhere.