Agenda item

To consider a report from the Clerk, which seeks to appoint Members to the Standard’s and Governance Committee and other appointments within the Fire Authority.

The Authority considered a report from the Clerk (item 10 in the minute book), which appointed Members to Committees and other bodies for 2019-2020.

The report and recommendations were summarised by the Legal officer, highlighting the proposed proportionality of the Shareholder Committee in Appendix 2. It was also confirmed that a process was currently being undertaken to recruit a new Scheme Member vacancy for the Firefighters’ Pension Board and that Malcolm Eastwood had requested to extend his Membership for 10 months (until March 2020) rather than four years.

Councillor Price agreed with the allocation of seats in Appendix 2, whilst noting that this did not reflect the overall balance of the Authority, as stated at the bottom of the table.

Members discussed the name of the Shareholder Committee, and it was suggested that calling it a “Stakeholder Committee” may be more appropriate.  Officers advised that whilst the Committee would be exercising the functions of the Authority as Shareholder of 3SFire Ltd, it could be titled “Stakeholder Committee” if the Authority felt this more appropriate.  Members were given reassurance that legal and financial liability risks rest with 3SFire Ltd as a company limited by shares, and not with the Committee or Authority.  Notwithstanding this, it was noted that some reputational risks still remained for the Committee and the Authority.  In the circumstances, the Full Authority agreed that the new committee should be referred to as a Stakeholder Committee going forward. 

It was noted that the Isle of Wight had an open invitation to attend the APAG meetings and would continue to be welcomed going forward in 2019-20.

RESOLVED:

a.            For the purposes of Part 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the allocation of seats on the Standards and Governance Committee and the 3SFire Ltd Stakeholder Committee of the Authority be as set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

b.            The Authority appointed the following members of the Standards and Governance and the 3SFire Ltd Stakeholder Committees and their respective Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen following the agreed allocation of seats until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020:

c.            With regards to the Pension Board, the Authority considered the position as set out in section 3 of the report and noted the recruitment process currently underway for the Scheme Member representative vacancy. It was agreed that Malcolm Eastwood be appointed as Scheme Member representative until 31 March 2020.

d.            It was agreed that APAG shall include all appointed HFRA Members as set out in paragraph 4a of the report until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020 and further noted that the Isle of Wight had an open invitation to also attend the meetings.

e.            The Authority appointed Councillor Liz Fairhurst (Chairman), Councillor Roger Price and Councillor Rhydian Vaughan to an informal working group for the review of principal officer pay, as detailed in paragraph 4b of the report, until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020.

f.             That Councillor Roz Chadd be appointed as the Member Development Liaison Champion as set out in paragraph 4c of the report, until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020.

g.            The Minority Group Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat Party Group was confirmed as Councillor Roger Price until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020, as set out in paragraph 4d of the report.

h.            The Chairman of the 3SFire Ltd Stakeholder Committee, Councillor Roger Price, was appointed as the Shareholder Representative for 3SFire Ltd (with the Vice Chairman, Councillor Jonathan Glen, substituting as and when required) pursuant to Article 39 of the Articles of Association of 3SFire Ltd as set out in paragraph 4e of the report, until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020.

Steve Apter, Stew Adamson and Matt Robertson were appointed by the Authority as Directors of 3SFire Ltd pursuant to Articles 18 and 19 of the Articles of Association of 3SFire Ltd as set out in paragraph 4f of the report, until the Annual meeting of the Authority in 2020.