Agenda and minutes

Mr M. Deaville proposed, and Mr L. Bloomer seconded, and it was:

RESOLVED – That Mr I.S. Lawson be elected Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year.

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2013 be confirmed.

Mr T. Finn moved, and Mrs K. Perry seconded, and it was:-

RESOLVED – That Mrs J. Eagland be appointed Vice-Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year.

Chairman’s Civic Service

The Chairman extended an invitation to all Members to attend the Civic Church Service to be held at St. Mary’s Church, Stafford on Sunday, 9 June commencing at 11:30 am.

Mr J. Taylor asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation whose reply is set out below the question:-

Question

In the light of media reports last week saying that the number of officers at Staffordshire County Council earning over £100,000 had increased, can the Leader tell me how many staff (in-house and agency staff) are on the National Minimum wage?”

Reply

Staffordshire County Council employs no one on the National Minimum wage; all of our employees currently earn more than the National Minimum wage.

Supplementary Question

Being as there are no employees of the County Council on the National Minimum Wage, does that include agency staff and, secondly, does that mean that it is a policy of the County Council not to have employees on below the “Living Wage”?

Reply

It would be our policy not to pay people at or below the National Minimum Wage; similarly, it would be our policy not to pay people who work indirectly for us at or below the National Minimum Wage.  As far as the Living Wage is concerned, I do not have that information here with me today and so I will respond after the meeting.

Mr J. Taylor asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills whose reply is set out below the question:-

Question

The Labour Group is committed to enhancing opportunities for all young people in Staffordshire, including through apprenticeships. Can the Leader therefore tell me how apprenticeships have been created within the Authority and across Staffordshire in the last 4 years?

Reply

Between 2009/10 to 2011/12 14,146 young people from Staffordshire have started an apprenticeship. Over the three year period apprenticeships have increased year on year with 5,212 young people starting an apprenticeship in 2011/12 compared to 3,912 in 2009/10, an increase of 33% in apprenticeship starts over the period.

Within Staffordshire County Council, since September 2009, a total of 336 apprentices have been recruited and successfully completed the apprenticeship course. Of these, 130 have been successful in gaining a substantive post within Staffordshire County Council following completion of their apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship opportunities have been offered in a variety of functions including corporately as Outdoor Education Instructors, Grounds maintenance, ICT technicians, Catering,    Social Care and customer services, Business Administration and Animal Health. In addition within Schools as Teaching Assistants, ICT Technicians, Support Supervisors and Business Administration Support.

Supplementary Question

Of the 336 apprentices that have been recruited by the County Council, can the Cabinet Member tell me how many of those were young people from the “Looked After” system?

Reply

I do not have that information here with me today and so I will respond after the meeting.

Ms S. Woodward asked the following question of the Leader of the Council whose reply is set out below the question:-

Question

A consortium of charities, including Barnardo's & the Fostering Network, said last week that care leavers were being abandoned by their corporate parents, by which they mean each  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Chairman presented an Election return detailing the names of candidates elected and the number of seats won by each of the political parties, together with the percentage of votes cast.

RESOLVED – That the Election return be received.

The Chairman presented a report detailing those former Members of the Authority who were not re-elected at the County Council Elections on 2 May 2013.  The Leader of the Council and Mr D. Davis paid tribute to the contributions the former Members had made to the work of the Council.

RESOLVED – That the former Members named below be thanked for the valuable contribution they had made to the work of the Authority during their term(s) of office:

·        Paul Atkins – 2009 - 2013 - Burntwood South (Lichfield)

·        Ray Barron – 2009 - 2013 - Stafford North (Stafford)

·        John Bernard – 2009 - 2013 - Hednesford and Rawnsley (Cannock Chase)

·        John Cooper – 2009 - 2013 - Wolstanton (Newcastle)

·        Pat Corfield  - 2009 - 2013 - Cannock Town Centre (Cannock Chase)

·        DylisCornes – 2009 - 2013 - Audley and Chesterton (Newcastle)

·        Christina Jebb – 1989 - 2013 - Biddulph South and Endon (Staffordshire Moorlands)

·        Ivan Jennings – 2009 - 2013 - Stafford West (Stafford)

·        Geoffrey Locke – 2009 - 2013 - Kidsgrove and Talke (Newcastle)

·        David Nixon – 2001 - 2005 and 2009 – 2013 - Cross Heath and Silverdale (Newcastle)

·        Jeremy Oates – 2009 - 2013 - Amington (Tamworth)

·        Michael Oates – 2009 - 2013 - Bolebridge (Tamworth)

·        John Rowley  -  2009 - 2013 - Cannock Villages (Cannock Chase)

·        Liz Staples – 2009 - 2013 - Horninglow and Stretton (East Staffordshire)

·        Steve Tranter – 2009 - 2013 - Burntwood North (Lichfield)

Mr I.M. Parry moved and Mr B. Adams seconded, and it was:-

RESOLVED – That Mr. P.E.B. Atkins be appointed Leader of the County Council.

On the motion of Leader of the Council it was: –

RESOLVED – That the maximum the number of members of the Cabinet be set at five, plus the Leader of the Council.

The Leader of the Council outlined his plans for the Council for the next four years including promoting economic prosperity for the County and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.   He also circulated a statement setting out his Cabinet, as follows:-

Leader of the Council                                                                       Philip Atkins

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for                                       Ian Parry

Finance, Resources and Transformation                                      

Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing                                   Robbie Marshall

Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills                                        Ben Adams

Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure                          Mark Winnington

Cabinet Member for Communities                                                  Mike Lawrence

and Localism                                                                                     

Support Members (4)

Care                                                                                                    Alan White

Public Health and Community Safety                                              Mark Sutton

Environment and Rural Affairs                                                          Gill Heath

Transport and the Connected County                                              Simon Tagg

The Leader of the Labour Group on the Council made a statement setting out his Shadow Cabinet, as follows:

• George Adamson
• Maureen Compton
• Brian Jenkins
• Sheree Peaple

Sue Woodward

The Council considered a report of the Director of Democracy, Law and Transformation concerning proposed amendments to the Council’s Constitution by providing for a new Scheme of Delegation to the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for People.

RESOLVED - (a) That the new Scheme of Delegation to the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for People (as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report) be approved.

(b) That the Constitution, as revised, be approved.

The Council considered a report of the Director of Democracy, Law and Transformation concerning proposed changes to Cabinet Member responsibilities; the Council’s Committee arrangements and the re-introduction of the proposal for a Shadow Cabinet.  In response to questions from Members, the Monitoring Officer explained that the report had been tabled rather than being sent out with the papers for the meeting due to the tight timescale between the elections and the Annual Council Meeting.

Mrs Compton enquired as to which Select Committee would be responsible for scrutinising Entrust.  The Leader of the Council responded by indicating that Entrust was a separate legal entity and that the County Council had two seats on the company’s management board.  He added that one of the Council’s Select Committees would be responsible for scrutinising the commissioning of services through Entrust.

RESOLVED – That:

(a)      the Council be recommended to make the amendments to the Constitution as outlined in this report;

(b)      the Constitution is amended to reflect changes to Cabinet titles and the Shadow Cabinet with Cabinet responsibilities being determined by the Leader following Full Council;

(c)      authority is given to the Political Group Leaders to agree membership of the All Party Member Groups following Full Council;

(d)      the powers of Health Scrutiny be discharged by the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee;

(e)      the Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee becomes the Council’s statutory crime and disorder panel;

(f)        the Director for Democracy, Law and Transformation be granted authority to make any minor subsequent changes to the Constitution as a consequence of the changes set out in this report; and

the Constitution, as revised, be approved by Council.

RESOLVED – That the members indicated below serve on the Committees indicated for the period up to the annual Council meeting in 2013:-

RESOLVED – That the under-mentioned be appointed as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committees stated for the period up to the annual Council meeting in 2014:-

RESOLVED – (a) That the following members be appointed to serve on the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Combined Fire Authority for 2013/14:

(b) That the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Political Group Leaders, be authorised to approve the appointment of members to the remaining Outside Bodies for 2013/14 and. subsequently to make any changes to those appointments as necessary.

Mr P. Davies paid tribute to Mr L. Bloomer for is Chairmanship of the Fire and Rescue Authority over the past four years.

RESOLVED – That the Periodic Report of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority be received.