None were declared.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 November 2016.

The unrestricted minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 23 November 2016 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

The report sets out for Members the details of applicants who have expressed an interest in being appointed to local authority school governor positions at Tower Hamlets schools.  The Committee is asked to endorse or reject the nominations for appointments set out in the report.

Runa Basit, Head of School Governance & Information, introduced the report, which summarised applications from three persons who had applied to be nominated for appointment or reappointment as a local authority governor at Tower Hamlets maintained schools.

Following consideration of the information supplied, including both unrestricted and restricted reports, the Committee agreed to nominate all three applicants to the school governor position each had applied for.

RESOLVED -

1.    That the applicants for re-appointment to Local Authority School Governor positions as set out in the report be approved as follows.

a.    That Jenny Lowe be nominated for re-appointment as a governor at Chisenhale School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.

b.    That Geeta Le-Tessier be nominated for re-appointment as a governor at Seven Mills School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.

2.    That the applications for Local Authority Governors as detailed in the report be approved as follows:

a.    That Kerri Marriner be nominated for appointment as a governor at the PRU Management Committee under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.

To recommend to Full Council a Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18.

Stuart Young, Interim Divisional Director, HR and Transformation, introduced the report. Mr Young drew the Committee’s attention to the key changes in the 2017/18 Pay Policy Statement since its previous publication and other general developments affecting the Council’s staffing and pay arrangements, as set out in the report.

In response to questions from members, officers agreed to provide the Committee with:

      i.        More detail on the travel allowance referred to in section 5 of the 2017/18 Pay Policy Statement.

    ii.        Proposals for the most effective way to publish exit payment details as referred to in paragraph 3.32 of the report.

   iii.        The pay multiple benchmarking data referred to in paragraph 3.10 of the report.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

1.    Recommend that Full Council agrees the draft Pay Policy Statement 2017/18.

2.    Agree that if any minor changes to the 2017/18 pay policy statement are required as a result of future government guidance or a Local Government Transparency Code 2016, these amendments be delegated to the Chief Executive, after consultation with the Divisional Director (HR and Transformation), the Chair of the GP Committee and the Monitoring Officer. Should any fundamental changes be required, the pay policy statement will be sent back to the GP Committee for consideration.

This report updates Members on the implementation of the new organisational structure. The report provides a timetable for implementing the new structure including recruitment to vacant posts.

Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, introduced the report, which updated the Committee on progress implementing the new organisational structure. Mr Tuckley further advised that the adverts for the two Corporate Director posts (Place and Governance) will be published tomorrow (Thursday, 26 January 2017).

In response to questions from members, officers agreed to provide the Committee with:

      i.        A copy of the advert for the posts of Corporate Directors Governance and Place (an A4 sized copy of the advert was shown to the Committee).

    ii.        A detailed chart showing the current management arrangements within the Council, which will allow members to identify where individual services are currently located and include timescales where relevant (e.g. for recruitment to vacant posts or for interim positions).

   iii.        A copy of the final schedule for Appointment Sub Committees as identified in the indicative timetable at Appendix A of the report. A copy also to be made to all group leaders.

   iv.        A link to the recruitment microsite.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

a)    Establish Appointment Sub-Committees as detailed at paragraph 3.5;

b)    Note the change in management reporting for the Communications and Policy, Strategy & Equalities functions as detailed at paragraph 3.6; and

c)    Note the progress in implementing the Council structure.

To note progress developing a new process for the dismissal of statutory officers, following the implementation of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.

Stuart Young, Interim Divisional Director, HR and Transformation, introduced the report, which explained the impact of recent Regulations that require local authorities to amend their rules regarding dismissal of statutory officers.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

1.    Note the contents of the report and agree to adopt the model disciplinary procedure and flow diagram, and the grievance procedure as set out in the Chief Executive Handbook.

2.    Agree that a further report be considered by GP Committee upon the national changes being made to the Chief Officers Handbook.

To receive feedback on the annual canvass 2016 and the Whitechapel By-Election, 1 December 2016.

Report to follow.

Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, introduced the report which updated the Committee on the annual canvass 2016, conduct of the 1 December 2016 Whitechapel by-election and the implications for the Council on the Government’s response to Sir Eric Pickles’ review into electoral fraud. Louise Stamp, Electoral Services Manager, provided the Committee with some additional detail on the 2016 canvass process.

Members noted with particular interest the Government’s response to Sir Eric Pickles’ review into electoral fraud. Several Members welcomed that Tower Hamlets has been identified as a pilot area for the ID schemes referred to in the report and asked officers to circulate the report to the Committee.

Members of the Committee made suggestions for how the election process could be improved in future. Including:

      i.        Could single polling booths be used to ensure privacy for voters?

    ii.        Could counted ballot papers be ‘stacked’ prior to declaration being announced, as happens at election counts at many other London boroughs?

RESOLVED that the Committee:

1.    Note the content of the report.

To review the allocation of seats on the Appointments Sub Committee following recent changes to the Council’s political group composition.

Graham White, Acting Corporate Director, Governance and Interim Monitoring Officer, introduced the report, which asked the Committee to amend arrangements for the membership of Appointment Sub Committees to reflect the new political composition of the Council.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

1.    Amend the membership provisions of the Appointment Sub-Committee as detailed in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

None.

RESOLVED

1.    That in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the remaining agenda item contained information defined as exempt or confidential in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the exempt minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 November 2016.

The exempt minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 23 November 2016 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

The report sets out for Members the details of applications of applicants who have expressed an interest in being appointed to local authority school governor positions at Tower Hamlets schools.

The appendices for Local Authority Governor Applications were considered during item 3.1 on the unrestricted part of the agenda.