Agenda item

The Council received and considered a report which sought appointments as representatives on external bodies and nominations to external bodies as a representative of Surrey Leaders’ Group.

The report highlighted that no substitutes were permitted for Borough/District Council co-opted members of Local Committees unless a Local Committee agreed otherwise at its first meeting following the Annual Meeting (and in relation to all Local Committee meetings to be held until May 2018) that substitutes could be appointed.

The report further highlighted that the Borough Council was requested annually to make nominations to a variety of external bodies as Surrey Leaders’ Group (SLG) representatives. Nominations, which were made by all constituent authorities, were subsequently determined by SLG at its annual meeting.  It did not necessarily follow, therefore, that a nominee of this Council would be appointed to the body concerned.

Appointments were usually for three years. There were two positions to be filled this year which were one of the three joint positions on the Surrey County Council Wellbeing and Health and Scrutiny Board (either for a two or three year term of office) and a position on the Countryside Access Forum (a three year term of office).

The Surrey County Council Wellbeing and Health Scrutiny Board (formerly Health Scrutiny Select Committee) performed a statutory function looking at the work of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and National Health Service (NHS) provider trusts.  It acted as a 'critical friend' by suggesting ways that health related services might be improved.  It also looked at the way the health service interacted with social care services, the voluntary sector, independent providers and other council services to jointly provide better health services to meet the diverse needs of Surrey residents and improve their well-being. It was a scrutiny committee of the County Council.

The Countryside Access Forum advised the Countryside Agency on arrangements for countryside access including rights of way and open access to land. It consisted of 22 members, including two County Councillors and the Borough/District representative appointed by the SLG.

The deadline for receipt of nominations by the SLG was Friday 26 May 2017 and it was therefore proposed that, should more than one candidate, if any, be put forward, authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, to nominate a councillor to the vacancies advised by the Surrey Leaders’ Group.

Should any nominations be forthcoming, the successful nominee would also need to complete the appropriate nomination form and return it to the Democratic Services Manager by Friday 26 May 2017 at the very latest. Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED

(1)          That the persons referred to below be appointed as representatives of the Council upon the respective bodies against which their names appear, such persons to hold office until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2018 unless otherwise stated:

(-) indicates Responsible Policy Committee to which the External Body is linked, e.g. E-Environment, CW-Community & Wellbeing, SR -Strategy and Resources

(2)          To note that the appointment of Borough members who are nominated as substitutes on Surrey County Council’s Local Committee will be subject to a decision by the Local Committee in June as to whether it wished to have substitute members;

(3)          To delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, the nomination of a councillor to the vacancies advised by the Surrey Leaders’ Group should more than one candidate be put forward in relation to a particular vacancy.