COUNCILLOR M. SHAHID ALI (CHAIR) IN THE CHAIR

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor C. Harper – Penman.

Noted

Note:  At the Annual Council Meeting held on 21^st May 2008, Councillor Mohammed Shahid Ali was appointed to serve as Chair of the General Purposes Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2008/09. 

The Committee is now invited to elect a Vice-Chair to serve for that period.

Councillor S. Ullah, nominated Councillor A. A. Sardar, as Vice-Chair of the General Purposes Committee for the Municipal Year 2008-2009.  The Chair, seconded the nomination.

There being no other nominations it was: -

Resolved

That Councillor A. A. Sardar be elected Vice-Chair of the General Purposes Committee for the Municipal Year 2008 – 2009.

To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.

Councillor S. Ullah, sought and was given clarification by Mr White, Interim Legal Team Adviser, Chief Executive’s,  in relation to any legal requirement to declare a personal interest: -

·                    On the basis of being a representative of the Authority on the governing body of certain outside bodies which were the subject a report later on the agenda, containing recommendations relating to appointment of representatives of the Authority to these bodies for the Municipal Year 2008/2009.

·                    On the basis of being Labour Group whip, in the context of nominations made by the Labour Group for appointment of representatives of the Authority on the governing body of outside bodies for the Municipal Year 2008/2009, which was the subject a report later on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were subsequently made.

To agree as a correct record of the proceedings the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 10^th December 2007.

The Chair Moved and it was: -

Resolved

That the unrestricted minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 10^th December 2007 be approved and signed by the Chair, as a correct record of the proceedings.

The clerk, at the request of the Chair, in introducing the report summarised the salient points contained therein.

The Chair Moved the recommendation contained in the report and it was:- 

Resolved:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The clerk, at the request of the Chair, in introducing the report summarised the salient points contained therein.

At this juncture the Chair firstly informed members of the Committee that in order to expedite consideration of the report he thought it appropriate that the Committee agree the noting recommendations contained in the report, and accordingly Moved

“That the recommendations contained in paragraph 3. (ii) and 3. (iii) of the report be agreed”

and it was: -

Resolved:

1.         That the appointments to London Councils Committees and Forums made by Council on 21^st May 2008, as listed in Appendix B to the report, be noted.

2.                  That the ‘Guidance for Members representing the Council on external bodies’ attached at Appendix C to the report be noted.

The Chair continued by secondly informing members of the Committee that in order to streamline consideration of the business set out in paragraph 3. (ii) of the report before them, the appointments to external bodies, he felt it was appropriate that the Committee focus its attention on the external bodies where there were more nominations than appointments to be made (by the Council) and also on those where there were currently insufficient nominations. Accordingly the Chair Moved the following motion for the consideration of members of the Committee: -

“That the appointments to external bodies set out in Appendix A to the report, in accordance with nominations received from political groups, be agreed with the exception of those appointments where there are more nominations than appointments to be made by the Council, and that the Committee consider those appointments organisation by organisation in the order detailed in Appendix A.

That it be noted, in relation to appointments for several outside organisations, that there were further nominations to be made by the political groups, and that the Committee note these organisation by organisation in the order detailed in Appendix A.”

and it was: -

Resolved:

1.         That the appointments to external bodies set out in Appendix A to the report, in accordance with nominations received from political groups, be agreed with the exception of those appointments where there were more nominations than appointments to be made by the Council, and that the Committee consider those appointments organisation by organisation in the order detailed in Appendix A.

2.         That it be noted, in relation to appointments for several outside organisations, that there were further nominations to be made by the political groups, and that the Committee note these organisation by organisation in the order detailed in Appendix A.

CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENTS TO SPECIFIC EXTERNAL BODIES DETAILED IN APPENDIX A TO THE REPORT

Age Concern Tower Hamlets

The Chair informed members of the Committee that with regard to the organisation “Age Concern Tower Hamlets” Appendix A detailed more nominations than appointments to be made by the Council and therefore the Committee would need to vote on the matter.

The Chair Moved the following motion for the consideration of members of the Committee: -

“That the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.2

The Chair informed members of the Cabinet:-

·              That the report had been Tabled, a copy of which would be interleaved with the minutes.

·              Of the special circumstances and reasons for urgency associated with the report as follows:-

o       The report was unavailable for public inspection within the standard timescales set out in the Authority’s Constitution, because of the delay in receiving and processing nominations from political groups.

o       Agreement of appointments to external bodies was important to ensure that the Authority can fully represent the residents of the Borough in these forums and because the next opportunity for the Committee to agree such appointments was August 2008, and that would unduly delay this proper representation.

The Committee subsequently agreed these special circumstances and reasons for urgency.

The clerk, at the request of the Chair, in introducing the report summarised the salient points contained therein.

The Chair Moved the following motion for the consideration of members of the Committee: -

“That appointments to Committees and Panels for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2008/09 be agreed in accordance with the nominations from the respective political groups, as set out in paragraph 2.1 (i) of the report.”

and it was: -

Resolved:

1.         That the following appointments to Committees and Panels of the Council be agreed for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2008/09: -