Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence from any members of the Committee.

Councillors Joseph Lee and Elily Ponnuthurai gave apologies. Councillor Catherine Wilson attended as substitute for Counciillor Ponnuthurai.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) they may have in relation to any item(s) of business on today’s agenda.

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2022 as an accurate record of the proceedings.

The minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2022 were agreed as an accurate record.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2022 as an accurate record of the proceedings.

There was none.

In accordance with Section 38 of the Localism Act, the council is required to present and publish an annual Pay Policy Statement.

Dean Shoesmith, Chief People Officer, introduced the report and proposed a number of drafting changes.

The following changes to the Pay Policy Statement were proposed:

·             ‘4.3 Full Council or, if the proposals are being made in the context of litigation and the making of the decision is urgent, General Purposes Committee will be given the opportunity to vote on severance packages of £100,000 and above in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.’

·             ‘4.5 …

·             Special severance payments of £100,000 and above must be approved by a vote of full Council or, if the proposals are being made in the context of litigation and the making of the decision is urgent, General Purposes Committee in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.’

The following changes to the covering report were proposed:

·               ’2.3 to agree the annual Pay Policy Statement for 2023-24 as amended;’.

·               To add a new recommendation as follows: 

“2.5 RECOMMEND to Full Council that paragraph 6 of the Committee’s Terms of Reference in the constitution be amended as follows:

‘6. The function in respect of voting on severance packages of staff above such specified thresholds as may, from time to time, be updated by statutory guidance if the proposals are being made in the context of litigation and the making of the decision is urgent.’

It was explained that these changes meant that decisions would only be referred to a Committee in limited and exceptional cases, for example, in cases of employee litigation, and where the decision was urgent. Officers also explained that the statutory guidance would be referred to in all decision-making, and that if officers were conflicted by the decision they would not be involved in the process. Officers assured members that this process would be strictly adhered to.

The Chair sought to ensure that the improved safeguards would be fully and properly implemented and complied with and asked that the consideration of whether these decision-making powers should sit with the General Purposes Committee or be moved to the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee would be recorded as an action to picked up by the Constitution Working Group in future.

RESOLVED, to:

1.         Note the approval process regarding Special Severance Payments and severance packages within the Pay Policy Statement for 2023-24 and in particular regarding urgency;

2.         Note the change to the benchmarking arrangement regarding the appropriate remuneration for the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service;

3.         Agree the annual Pay Policy Statement for 2023-24 as amended; and,

4.         Recommend to Full Council that paragraph 6 of the Committee’s Terms of Reference be amended as follows:

“6. The function in respect of voting on severance packages of staff above such specified thresholds as may, from time to time, be updated by statutory guidance if the proposals are being made in the context of litigation and the making of the decision is urgent.”

To approve the dates of the meetings of the full Council for the municipal year 2023-24.

Adrian May, interim Head of Democratic Services, introduced the report to the committee and explained that it was still within the powers of the chairs of each of the committees to move meetings if needed, and that there were other panels and meetings that were still required which could be entered into the calendar of meetings at a later stage.

RESOLVED, to:

1.     Agree the Council meetings for the municipal year 2023-24;

2.     Note the Cabinet meeting dates for the municipal year 2023-24; and,

3.     Recommend that Council approves the meeting dates for all other committees for the municipal year 2023-24.