Issue - meetings

That the Committee wishes to recommend to Council, via the Council’s Annual Meeting, that the number of councillors on the Audit Committee be retained and the membership rotated to allow all political groups to participate.  Also that an additional lay member be recruited.

The Internal Audit Manager presented a report to consider the composition of the Audit Committee following discussion at a meeting of the Constitution & Democratic Services Committee.  The report reflected the current membership arrangements and valuable contributions made by the current and previous lay members serving on the Committee.  Any decision to change the size of the membership and/or increase the number of lay members would need to be through a recommendation to County Council to be determined at the Annual General Meeting.

The Chief Officer advised that the size of the Committee would need to be proportionate to the work undertaken and the nature of questioning at the meetings, which he recommended was better achieved by retaining a smaller sized membership.  Whilst the Committee would need to be politically balanced, any change to represent all political groups would necessitate an increase to eleven (or possibly ten) councillors.  On the resource implications, it was clarified that the pay entitlement for lay members was £99 per meeting rather than £128 which applied to a lay member chairing a meeting.

Councillor Dolphin spoke about the positive impact from the current lay member and suggested that an additional lay member would also be beneficial.  In the interests of fairness, he said that all political groups should be represented and suggested that this could be done by way of the smallest group’s seat (currently his own) being offered to the New Independent group.

Councillor Johnson said that the Committee was already fairly balanced between the ruling and opposition groups.  He said that a smaller membership generally allowed an opportunity for all those present to contribute, and spoke in support of an additional lay member if any changes were to be made.

Councillor Dunbobbin was in agreement with Councillor Johnson, as the meetings were open for other Members to observe if they wished.  He did not feel that increasing the number of councillors would add value to the Committee.

Following his earlier comments, Councillor Dolphin proposed that the group currently not represented on the Committee be appointed to replace the smallest group, with an additional lay member if agreed.

On this basis, the Chief Executive suggested that the proposal for recommendation to Council was for the number of councillors to remain the same and for the membership to be rotated to allow all political groups to participate, with the appointment of a second lay member.  The rotation arrangements would be agreed with Group Leaders.

This was formally proposed by Councillor Johnson and seconded by Councillor Dunbobbin.  On being put to the vote, it was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee wishes to recommend to Council, via the Council’s Annual Meeting, that the number of councillors on the Audit Committee be retained and the membership rotated to allow all political groups to participate.  Also that an additional lay member be recruited.