Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 5 February 2014.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 5 February 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Committee.

No urgent decisions were reported.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair of the Committee on any matters within the powers and duties of the Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meeting on the cards provided. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions.

No public questions were submitted.

To consider whether it is in the public interest to exclude the public during the consideration of the remaining agenda item relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority); the disclosure of which would not be fair and would therefore be in breach of  Data Protection principles.

RESOLVED - That in order to prevent the disclosure of information which was not for publication relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority), the disclosure of which would not be in the public interest, would not be fair and would be in breach of Data Protection principles, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Item 6 “Council Senior Management Structure - Update.”

To consider a report of the Chief Executive.

Officer contact: Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive on 0161 474 3001

E mail eamonn.boylan@stockport.gov.uk

The Chief Executive submitted report (copies of which had been circulated) reviewing the current position regarding the interim arrangements for the appointment of the Monitoring Officer, as agreed by this Committee at its meeting on 5 February 2014.

The report detailed the outcome of a review of the interim arrangements for the appointment of the Monitoring Officer after six months of operation, which had concluded that these arrangements had worked well and should continue on a permanent basis. 

This report further set out the actions that were proposed to confirm the permanent appointment of the Monitoring Officer.

Members of the Committee were complimentary about the performance of the new Monitoring Officer during the interim appointment and were content for the arrangements to continue.

Additionally, the Chief Executive reported that a review of the current remuneration of the Heads of Service had been undertaken and he was not proposing any changes to the current remuneration package at the present time.  It was suggested that following further implementation of the ‘Investing in Stockport’ programme, a fundamental review of senior management capacity, including the ‘M Band’ management posts would be required and that this would incorporate the Heads of Service at this stage.

Members of the Committee questioned the timing of such a review and whether it in future would include an approach to competence to ensure the Council had the right skills set required in senior officers.  The Chief Executive confirmed that this would be included and would be likely to be considered within 12 months. 

RESOLVED – (1) The current Head of Legal and Democratic Governance be appointed as the Council’s Statutory Monitoring Officer on a permanent basis.

(2) That a special responsibility allowance for this statutory role be awarded at a fixed sum of equivalent to 10% of the starting point on the pay band of ‘M Band’ 1.

(3) That the approach of the Chief Executive be endorsed with regard to the review of the Head of Service tier being tied to the proposed fundamental review of senior management capacity, including the ‘M Band’ management posts, and which would be considered in conjunction with the management requirements of the Council aligned with the ‘Investing in Stockport’ programme.