MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

COUNCIL

22 JUNE 2011

REPORT OF THE CORPORATE SERVICES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE HELD ON 24 MAY 2011

CORPORATE SERVICES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – CHAIRMAN

At its meeting on 24 May 2011 the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the appointment of Chairman for the municipal year 2011-12.

At the meeting some Members expressed concern that the current overview and scrutiny procedural rules as set out in the constitution at paragraph 7 point 3 do not allow all non executive members to be considered for the position of Chairman and exclude the group(s) currently holding the executive positions:

“The Chairman of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee shall come from a political group not represented on the executive, except where all political groups are represented on the executive.”

The Committee agreed that a report be sent to Council requesting that paragraph 3 of Overview and Scrutiny procedure rule 7 be deleted.  The Standards Committee was asked to evaluate this in line with the constitution.

RECOMMENDED:

That the third paragraph of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 7 be deleted the effect of which is to remove the requirement that the Chairman of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee should come from a political group not represented on the executive, except where all groups are represented on the executive.

Evaluation of the Standards Committee held on 8 June 2011

The Standards Committee did not wish to offer an evaluation of the proposal.