Agenda

To elect a Chairman for 2022/23

To appoint a Vice-Chairman for 2022/23

To approve, and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Fire Authority held on 16 February 2022 (item 4)

The Chairman to invite officers to provide verbal updates on any actions noted in the Minutes from the previous meeting.

Members to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in any matter being considered which are not entered onto the Authority’s Register, and officers to disclose any interests they may have in any contract to be considered.

To receive the Chairman’s announcements (if any).

To receive petitions under Standing Order SOA6.

To receive questions in accordance with Standing Order SOA7.

Under the Buckinghamshire Fire Services (Combination Scheme) Order 1996 Part III paragraph 12 – Each constituent authority shall, so far as is practicable, appoint such number of representatives to be members of the Authority as is proportionate to the number of local government electors in its area in relation to the number of such electors in the other constituent authority’s area.

The electorate for Buckinghamshire Council is 411,005 as at 1 December 2021 (An email received from the Buckinghamshire Council Senior Electoral Services Officer, 12 January 2022, confirmed ‘The Local Government electorate for Buckinghamshire Council at 1 December 2021 is 411005.’) 67.73%.

The electorate for Milton Keynes Council is 195,827 as at 1 December 2021 (An email received from the Milton Keynes Council Electoral Services Manager, 25 January 2022, confirmed ‘Milton Keynes Local Government Electorate as per the revised register on the 1 December 2021 is 195,827’) 32.27%.

Total Number of Members     :                                               17

Buckinghamshire        411,005           (67.73%)          12        Members       

Milton Keynes             195,827           (32.27%)            5        Members

This equates to Authority Membership for Buckinghamshire Council 12 Members and Milton Keynes Council 5 Members.

To note that the Constituent Authorities have appointed the following Members to serve on the Fire Authority for 2022/23:

Buckinghamshire Council (12)

Councillors Bagge, Carroll, Chapple OBE, Christensen, Hall, Hussain, Irwin, Lambert, Rouse, Stuchbury, Waite and Walsh

Milton Keynes Council (5)

Councillors Darlington, Exon, Hopkins, Marland and McLean          

(a)                Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

The Authority is required by the above Regulations to review the basis of allocation of seats amongst the Political Groups either at its Annual Meeting, or as soon as practicable thereafter, or following a change in its Membership.  In making its review, the Authority is required, so far as reasonably practicable, to comply with the following principles:

(i)                  The majority of seats is to be allocated to a particular Group if the number of persons belonging to that Group is a majority on the Authority.

(ii)                Subject to the above paragraphs, the number of seats on the Committees allocated to each Group should bear the same proportion to the total of all the seats on the Committees as that borne by the number of Members of that Group to the Membership of the Authority.

(iii)              Subject to paragraphs (i) to (iii) above, that the number of the seats on the body which are allocated to different political groups bears the same proportion to the number of all the seats on that body as is borne by the number of members of that group to the membership of the authority.

Subject to formal notification of the Membership of each Political Group, the allocation of seats on the Authority is as follows:

Conservative Group:                           11 seats           (64.70%)

Liberal Democrat Group:                    3 seats             (17.65%)

Labour Group:                                     3 seats             (17.65%)

The above Regulations, with the Authority’s Scheme of Delegation, require a notice in writing to be delivered to the Authority’s Monitoring Officer signed by two or more Members of the Authority to establish a Political Group. 

The Authority is asked to note the report.

Contact Officer: Katie Nellist (Democratic Services Officer) – 01296 744633

Background papers: None.

(b)        Committee Appointments

To consider making appointments to the Authority’s committees. The membership of the Executive and the Overview and Audit committees is required to be mutually exclusive.

Executive Committee

The Authority is asked to make appointments to the Executive Committee in accordance with the wishes of the respective Political Groups (8 Members).

It is recommended that the seats should be allocated as follows:

Conservative – 5

Liberal Democrat – 2

Labour – 1

Overview and Audit Committee

The Authority is asked to make appointments to the Overview and Audit Committee in accordance with the wishes of the respective Political Groups (9 Members).

It is recommended that the seats should be allocated as follows:

Conservative – 6

Liberal Democrat – 1

Labour – 2

Contact Officer: Katie Nellist (Democratic Services Officer) – 01296 744633

Background papers: None.

Fire Authority

Wednesday 12 October 2022             at 11.00am

Wednesday 7 December 2022           at 11.00am

Wednesday 15 February 2023            at 11.00am

Wednesday 14 June 2023                   at 11.00am

Executive Committee

Wednesday 13 July 2022                    at 10.00am

Wednesday 14 September 2022        at 10.00am

Wednesday 16 November 2022         at 10.00am

Wednesday 8 February 2023              at 10.00am

Wednesday 22 March 2023                at 10.00am

Overview & Audit Committee

Wednesday 20 July 2022                    at 10.00am

Wednesday 9 November 2022           at 10.00am

Wednesday 15 March 2023                at 10.00am

(a)                Local Government Association Annual Conference

To appoint 2 Members to attend as the Authority’s representatives at the Local Government Association’s Annual Conference.

(b)               Local Government Association Fire Commission

To appoint 1 Member and Standing Deputy to represent the Authority at the Local Government Association’s Fire Commission.

(c)                Local Government Association Annual Fire Conference

To appoint 2 Members to attend as the Authority’s representatives at the Local Government Association’s Annual Fire Conference.

(d)               Thames Valley Fire Control Service – Joint Committee

(i)                  To appoint 2 Representatives to the Thames Valley Fire Control Service – Joint Committee.

(ii)                To nominate 2 substitute members to the Thames Valley Fire Control Service – Joint Committee (in the event the 2 representatives are unable to attend).

Appointments to the Thames Valley Fire Control Service Joint Committee are exempt from the political balance rules under section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. It is a joint committee constituted by two or more authorities under section 102 of the Local Government Act 1972 but to which the Authority appoints fewer than three members.

To consider the allocation of Lead Member Responsibilities; and to appoint Members to those roles.

It is recommended that:

1.                  Appointments to each of the Lead Member roles be made.

Contact Officer: Katie Nellist (Democratic Services Officer) – 01296 744633.

Background Papers: None

To consider item 15

To consider item 16

To consider item 17

To consider item 18

To consider excluding the public and press representatives from the meeting by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as the report contain information relating to any individual; and Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as the report contain information relating to the financial or business affairs of a person (including the Authority); and on these grounds it is considered the need to keep information exempt outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To consider item 20