Agenda item

Considered -

A report by James Farrar, Chief Operating Officer, York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership regarding Programme Management and the Joint Committee Terms of Reference.

Barry Khan, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services), North Yorkshire County Council made some introductory comments regarding the process of devolution.

City of York Councillor Paula Widdowson queried why non-Executive members could not be nominated as substitutes for this committee.

Barry Khan said that this was because the committee was constituted as a joint committee of the respective council Executives.  However, this could be reviewed and the remit of the committee widened, subject to agreement by both councils.

Will Boardman, Head of Corporate Strategy and City Partnerships at City of York Council, introduced the report.

Some of the key points highlighted in the report are as summarised below:

·         Following the announcement of the ‘minded to’ devolution deal on 1 August 2022, plans have been developed to follow the statutory process and develop implementation plans

·         A public consultation, which will run for eight weeks, is now underway and will conclude on 16 December 2022

·         A Joint Committee has to be in place to oversee the implementation process of the devolution deal.  It will have oversight of the development of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority subject to approval being made to proceed 

·         The Institute of Consultation will review the findings of the consultation and provide an independent report for the Constituent Councils to consider before agreeing whether to submit the Scheme to Whitehall for Parliamentary Approval

·         It is important to state that a decision has not yet been taken about whether to create a Mayoral Combined Authority for North Yorkshire and York.  It is prudent, however, to create a Joint Committee of the constituent councils to ensure there is an appropriate forum for discussions on devolution

·         Depending upon the outcome of the consultation, a full implementation plan for the Mayoral Combined Authority will be presented to the Joint Committee and the full Council meetings of City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council

City of York Councillor Keith Aspden said that the Terms of Reference need to be amended to reflect the earlier election of Co-Chairs and the discussion around non-Executive substitutes

The Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, said that the Office of the Police and Fire Commissioner were opening up a line of discussion with Government regarding the necessary transition work.

City of York Councillor Keith Aspden then turned to the recommendations at paragraph 10.0 of the report and proposed that the Terms of Reference be adopted, subject to previous discussions, and that the approach to programme management be noted.

This was seconded and a vote held.  On a show of hands, all four voting members of the committee voted in favour.

Resolved –

a)    That the Terms of Reference at Annex A be approved subject to clarification about whether non-Executive Members can be appointed as substitutes to the committee and that they are amended to reflect the appointment of Co-Chairs, as opposed to a Chair and Vice Chair

b)    That the approach to the programme arrangements currently in place be noted.