Agenda item

To seek the view of the Audit and Risk Management Committee on the appointment of an Independent Member to the Committee.

Deborah Moss presented the report to members.

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Christy stated that it is a very good report, and he agrees with the concept and following the recommended route as outlined by CIPFA. He explained that he sits on another Audit Committee who have introduced an Independent Member, and it has worked very well. Councillor Christy refers to page 226 of the report which refers to the Appointments Panel and he stated that it is his understanding that the CIPFA guidance is that it would be a balanced party panel. He stated that from his experience he does have some materials which he would be willing to share with officers with regards to job specification and questions to assist with the interview process. 

·         Councillor Booth stated that he agrees with the thoughts of Councillor Christy, and believes that the process should commence. He referred to the point made by Deborah Moss concerning the rationale around the three year cycle and he made the point that every three years, if it was on a temporary basis, then the point could be reached where it would marry up with election cycles and he questioned whether it should be every four years in the middle of the municipal term of a Council in order to give consistency over to committees.

·         Councillor Booth asked Councillor Christy to clarify the point he had made with regards to a balanced party approach and whether he was referring to the Widdicombe rules? Councillor Booth stated that he does not think the same rules would apply to the Appointments Panel and he made the point that there should not be too many members on the panel, and he would suggest a maximum of 4.

·         Councillor Tierney made the point that he disagrees with the appointment of an independent member as he feels it will be a huge waste of time and money as the committee operates perfectly fine and appears to be bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake. He expressed the view that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money and is completely unnecessary.

·         Councillor Mrs French agreed with the view of Councillor Tierney, and she expressed the view that it is an additional expense which will require somebody to be trained, and the Council should wait till they are enforced to do it.

·         Councillor Booth expressed the view that the Council is supposed to be a forward-looking Council, and it should, therefore, take steps and be decisive by implementing the Independent Person now in order to provide a robustness to the assurance function of the Council.

·         Councillor Tierney expressed the view that if you just do everything just because you think that the Government might force you to do something then you might as well let the Government run the Council. He added that the committee is in place to make independent decisions and not to do things just because others suggest that the Council ought to do something. Councillor Tierney expressed the view that he does not believe it is in the Councils or the taxpayer’s interest to go down this particular route.

·         Councillor Booth made the point that he disagrees with that view point and in his opinion it is more about improving the assurance function of the committee.

Members REFUSED the recommendation to appoint an Independent Member to the committee.