Agenda and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.  The following interests were declared:

Cllr Fraser – a personal interest in agenda item 4 (Called-In item: Exit Provisions and Pension Discretions), as a member of the retired sections of UNISON and Unite (TGWU/ACTS sections).

Cllr Alexander – a personal interest in agenda item 4, as a member of the GMB.

Cllr Simpson-Laing - a personal interest in agenda item 4, as a member of UNISON.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Friday, 24 September 2010.  

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2010.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling In) held on 14 June 2010 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record, subject to the inclusion in the preamble of Minute 5 (Called In Item: Water End Cycle Scheme Evaluation) of comments made at the meeting about the need to ensure the safety of cyclists turning right at Clifton Green through traffic at the Water End junction.

To consider the decision made by the Executive on 21 September 2010 in relation to the above item, which has been called in by Councillors Alexander, Simpson-Laing and Gunnell in accordance with the provisions of the Council’s Constitution.  A cover report is attached setting out the reasons for the call-in and the remit and powers of the Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling In) in relation to the call-in procedure, together with the original report to and decision of the Executive.

Members received a report which asked them to consider a decision made by the Executive on 21 September 2010 in relation to proposals to recommend that Staffing & Urgency Committee approve a number of amendments to the way in which the Council exercised its exit and pension discretions.

Details of the Executive’s decision were attached as Annex 1 to the report.  The original report to the Executive was attached as Annex 2.  The decision had been called in by Cllrs Alexander, Gunnell and Simpson-Laing, on the grounds that:

“The Executive has failed to ensure a mechanism is in place for effective Member scrutiny of pay and pension settlements, leaving potentially substantial Officer exit settlements to fellow Officers alone.”

Members were asked to decide whether to confirm the decision of the Executive (Option A) or to refer it back to the Executive for re-consideration (Option B)

Cllr Alexander addressed the Committee on behalf of the Calling-In Members, stating that the Executive, in making their recommendation to the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee, should have taken into account the comments of the Labour Group Spokespersons advising Member scrutiny of exit payments above a certain threshold.  During the ensuing discussion, it was noted that the final decision on this matter rested with the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee, which would meet on 4 October to consider the proposed amendments.

Cllr Alexander then moved, and Cllr Simpson-Laing seconded, that Option B be approved and the decision be referred back to the Executive for reconsideration, with the recommendation that they advise the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee, in agreeing to amend the Council’s approach to exit provisions and pension discretions, to include a requirement that exit payments over a certain threshold be subject to scrutiny by the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee.  Four Members voted for this proposal and four voted against.  The Chair then used his casting vote against the proposal, which was accordingly declared LOST and it was therefore

RESOLVED: That Option A be approved and the original decision of the Executive be confirmed.

REASON:      In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and in view of the fact that the decision on this matter rests with the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee.