Issue - meetings

That the changes outlined in the Appendix to the Clwyd Pension Fund Constitution and the Pension Board Protocol be recommended to Council.

In presenting the report the Chief Officer (Governance) provided background information regarding the Clwyd Pension Fund.  He advised that the report outlined the proposed changes to the Constitution and the Pension Board’s Protocol to:

• reflect the proposal that the Head of Clwyd Pension Fund is the senior

officer with responsibility for operational delivery of the Pension Fund, rather

than the Chief Executive; and

• ensure that the Constitution is fully reflective of the status of pension fund

management as a non-executive function.

Other incidental changes were included in the Appendix to the report.

Councillor Alasdair Ibbotson expressed concern around the proposal that the Head of Clwyd Pension Fund be the senior officer with responsibility for operational delivery of the Pension Fund, instead of the Chief Executive, as he felt this was delegating authority to a lower level.  In response the Chief Officer explained that the Constitution described where responsibilities lay and, referring to page 20 of the report as an example, he said the Constitution also outlined who would hold responsibility for carrying out those functions.  The intention of the proposal was to provide greater clarification around operational responsibility.

In response to a further concern raised by Councillor Ibbotson the Chief Officer advised that the Chief Executive retained overall responsibility as Senior Officer of the Council.  Delegation to officers did not prevent the Chief Executive from over-ruling a decision if necessary except when an officer had a statutory post and specific responsibilities.

The Chief Officer also responded to the question raised by Councillor Steve Copple regarding workload and capacity and explained that the Head of Clwyd Pension Fund was already undertaking the relevant functions.

The recommendation in the report was moved and seconded by Councillor Antony Wren and Councillor Ian Hodge.

RESOLVED: 

That the changes outlined in the Appendix to the Clwyd Pension Fund Constitution and the Pension Board Protocol be recommended to Council.