Agenda item

To consider a report from the Monitoring Officer, which seeks various appointments to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) for 2023-24.

Fire Authority received a report from the Monitoring Officer (item 9 in the minute book), which summarised the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) appointments required for the municipal year.

It was noted that there would be one ‘Liberal Democrat, Independent and Labour’ Opposition group, but this did not affect the proportionality of seats on the sub-committees.

RESOLVED

1.     The Authority approved the current schedule of meetings of the Authority and its committees for the coming year at Appendix 3.

2.     For the purposes of Part 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and following an update to the proportionality table in Appendix 2, the Authority agreed that the allocation of seats on the Standards and Governance Committee, and the Stakeholder Committee of the Authority be as follows:

3.     The Authority appointed members to the Standards and Governance Committee and the Stakeholder Committee following the agreed allocation of seats at paragraphs 5 and 26 (above).

That, with regards to the Pension Board, the Authority considered the position as set out in paragraph 6of the report and noted the appointments as set out in paragraph 6 of the report.

4.     The Authority agreed that APAG include all appointed HIWFRA Members as set out in paragraph 7a of the report, until the AGM in 2024.

5.     The Authority appointed Councillor Derek Mellor as Chairman with Councillor Zoe Huggins and Councillor Roger Price to the informal working group for the review of principal officer pay, as detailed in paragraph 7b of the report, until the AGM in 2024.

6.     The Minority Group Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat, Independent and Labour Group was confirmed until the annual meeting of the Authority in 2024, as set out in paragraph 7c of the report.

7.     The Authority noted the current appointments of the Independent Persons for HIWFRA as referred to in paragraph 7d.

8.     The Authority agreed that the Chairman of the Stakeholder Committee be appointed as the Shareholder Representative for 3SFire CIC pursuant to Article 42 of the Articles of Association of 3SFire CIC as set out in paragraph 7e of the report, until the annual meeting of the Authority in 2024.

9.     The Authority agreed to grant dispensations under Sections 33(2)(a) and (d) of the Localism Act 2011, expiring on 30 June 2024, in respect of the provisions of Sections 31(4)(a) and (b) of the Localism Act:

a)    to all Members to enable them to participate and vote in any business of the Authority relating to the setting of Council Tax or Precepts, when they would otherwise be prevented from doing so in consequence of a beneficial interest in land within the administrative area of the Authority; and

b)    to all Members in receipt of an allowance under the Authority’s Members’ Allowances Scheme or another Authority’s Members’ Allowances Scheme, enabling them to participate and vote in any business of the Authority where they may otherwise be prevented from doing so in consequence of being in receipt of a Members’ Allowance.

10.               The Authority noted the updated Members’ Allowance Scheme as set out at Appendix 4.

11.               The Authority noted and endorsed the secondment of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer to HMICFRS and the associated temporary appointment of Stew Adamson as the acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer to cover for the substantive Deputy Chief Fire Officer’s period of secondment.