Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Council considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance which indicated that Councillors Bill and Marianne Welsh had resigned from the Liberal Democrat Group with effect from 20 July 2017.  The report also indicated that both Councillors Bill and Marianne Welsh had been appointed Members of the Labour Group with effect from 29 August 2017, which had changed the Political Balance on the Council and that the change in proportionality affected the entitlement to formal Committee Places.

The impact of the change was that the Labour Group would now be entitled to two additional places: one on the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health); and one on the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) and a corresponding decrease in the Liberal Democrat Group entitlement of two places off those two Committees.  As a consequence Councillor Maher had appointed Councillor Marianne Welsh as a Member and Councillor Roscoe as her Substitute Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health); and Councillor Bill Welsh as a Member and Councillor Grace as his Substitute Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills).

Councillor Pullin also referred to a number of changes to the membership of Committees by the Liberal Democrat Group.

It was moved by Councillor Maher, seconded by Councillor Fairclough and

RESOLVED: That

(1)      it be noted that the change in proportionality resulted in an increase in the Labour Group entitlement of two Committee places and a corresponding decrease in the Liberal Democrat entitlement;

(2)      Councillor Marianne Welsh be appointed as a Member and Councillor Roscoe as her Substitute Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) and Councillor Bill Welsh be appointed as a Member and Councillor Grace as his Substitute Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills); and

(3)      the following changes to the membership of Committees and Outside Bodies, as submitted by the Liberal Democrat Group be approved:

           Planning Committee

·                 Cllr Jo Barton to replace Cllr Marianne Welsh as the substitute member for Cllr Preece on Planning Committee.

Audit & Governance Committee

·                 Cllr Hands to replace Cllr Bill Welsh as the substitute member for Cllr Shaw on Audit & Governance Committee.

Local Joint Consultative Committee

·                 Cllr Keith to replace Cllr Bill Welsh as the substitute member for Cllr Dodd on Local Joint Consultative Committee.

Mersey Port Health Committee

·                 Cllr Shaw to replace Cllr Bill Welsh as the member on Mersey Port Health Committee

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority

·                 Cllr Lynne Thompson to replace Cllr Marianne Welsh as the representative on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority