Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 6 February 2024 were approved as a correct record.

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

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

No declarations were made.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Governance.

The report outline revisions agreed by the Joint STaR Committee on 15 April 2024 to the council’s Contract Procedure Rules to include current legislation for Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and seeks agreement that the report should progress through the council’s governance process so that the Council Meeting on 11 July 2024 can approve that the necessary consequential amendments be made to the Constitution.

The Working Party is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Vicki Bates on 0161 474 3219 or email: vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining revisions agreed by the Joint STaR Committee on 15 April 2024 to the council’s Contract Procedure Rules to include current legislation for Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 and seeking agreement that the report should progress through the council’s governance process so that the Council Meeting on 11 July 2024 can approve that the necessary consequential amendments be made to the Constitution.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to give approval to the proposed amendments to the Contract Procedure Rules as detailed in the report.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Governance.

At its meeting on 27 September 2023, the Working Party considered the timing for the undertaking of a review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.  The Working Party recommended that any such review should be undertaken during the 2024/25 municipal year.

This report outlines the proposed arrangements for the conduct of the review.

The Working Party is recommended to comment on and endorse the approach to for the conduct of the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

Officer contact: Damian Eaton on 0161 474 3207 or email:  damian.eaton@stockport.gov.uk

The Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the proposed arrangements for the conduct of a review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·       It was suggested that the review considers the breadth of roles that elected members were required to undertake, including that associated with roles taken on at external partner bodies and organisations.

·       It was important that members were remunerated fairly for the roles that they undertook.

·       The rate of remuneration in Stockport had fallen behind that in other authorities in Greater Manchester.

·       The Panel needed to cognisant of the impact on resources in any recommendations it made.

·       The proposal to interview elected members and conduct an anonymised survey of members was welcomed.

·       The role of the Independent Remuneration Panel was to make recommendations on the level of allowances, and the Council Meeting could adopt or reject those in whole or in part.

RESOLVED – That the proposed approach to the conduct of the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme be endorsed.