Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee and Audit and Governance Committee	26 February 2024

Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer

Combined Authority Governance: Development of the Constitution for the Combined Authority

Introduction

1. This report provides the Audit and Governance Committee and the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee with a further opportunity to consider the contents of the draft Constitution for the Combined Authority.

General context and Background

2. Members met on 15 January to allow both the Audit and Governance Committee and the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee to consider the draft Constitution.  They made a series of recommendations for amendments that the Interim Monitoring Officer of the York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority took to the inaugural meeting of the Combined Authority on 22 January 2024.

3. Some of the amendments were accepted and are included in the ‘live’ version of the Constitution (Appendix A).  Some of them require further work and will be reported back to the Combined Authority at a later date and some will require the input of the elected Mayor after the May elections.

4. A further meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee and the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee has been convened to consider the remaining parts of the constitution (specifically sections 6 and 7, relating to Financial Procedures, and Codes and Guidance respectively) that had not been considered at the 15 January meeting due to time constraints.

Alternative Options Considered

5. The report attached contains the proposals for the setting up of the Combined Authority which is a legal requirement.  As such there are no other options for consideration.  The option for this second joint meeting being to make comments on Sections 6 and 7 of Annex A to inform the Interim Monitoring Officer for the Combined Authority of further views from this Committee.

Financial Implications

6. There are no financial implications in relation to this report.

Legal Implications

7. The legal implications of the proposed Constitution are contained in the body of the report to the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee dated 11 December 2023.

Other Implications

8. Given the information-only nature of the report, there are no direct implications from this report.

Recommendations

9. That the Committees consider the contents of the draft Combined Authority Constitution (specifically Sections 6 and 7) and provide such feedback as the Committees consider appropriate for consideration by the Combined Authority.

Reason: To ensure the Committees have further opportunity to comment on Sections 6 and 7 of the draft Combined Authority Constitution.

Appendices:

Appendix A:       Draft Constitution of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

Contact Details

Author: Bryn Roberts Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer	Chief Officer Responsible for the report: Bryn Roberts
	Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer
	Report Approved	ü	Date	13 February 2024
Specialist Implications Officer(s): Financial:                                      Legal: Name: Debbie Mitchell                   Name: Bryn Roberts Title: Chief Finance Officer             Title: Director of Governance
Wards Affected:					All	ü

For further information please contact the author of the report

Background Papers:

Report to the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee dated 11 December 2023

Report to the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee and Audit and Governance Committeedated 15 January 2024