Agenda item

            (Mr. S. McCrory, Democratic Services Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1       The Committee is responsible for making appointments to the several Partnership Boards across the City, namely the North Belfast Partnership Board, the South Belfast Partnership Board, the East Belfast Partnership Board, the West Belfast Partnership Board and the Greater Shankill Partnership Board.

1.2       The methodology used to appoint Members to these Boards has been developed over the last 14 years to try to ensure that the Boards function as effectively as possible.

2          Key Issues

2.1       North Belfast Partnership Board (8 Members)

            For the past number of years, the Committee has decided that the 8 Members should be drawn from the representatives elected to the Castle and Oldpark District Electoral Areas.

            The strengths of the Parties in these District Electoral Areas is set out below, together with the number of places which the Parties would be entitled to on the Board based upon the strict application of proportionality.

2.2       South Belfast Partnership Board (8 Members)

            The appointees have historically been drawn proportionately from the Parties represented in the Balmoral and Laganbank District Electoral Areas.

            The strengths of the Parties in these District Electoral Areas is set out below, together with the number of places which the Parties would be entitled to on the Board based upon the strict application of proportionality.

            There are 3 Parties – Sinn Fein, DUP and Alliance who each have 2 Members in the areas.  There is one seat remaining between these 3 Parties and, in accordance with established practice, this should be allocated between these Parties over the 4-year term.  Accordingly, it is recommended that the extra place is allocated to the Alliance Party in years 1 and 4 on the basis that it polled the highest first preference votes of the three Parties in the two District Electoral Areas of Balmoral and Laganbank.  The seat would be allocated to the Democratic Unionist Party in year 2 and to Sinn Fein in year 3 under the same provisions.

2.3       East Belfast Partnership Board (4 Members)

            The strengths of the Parties in the Pottinger and Victoria District Electoral Areas is set out below, together with the number of places which the Parties would be entitled to on the Board based upon the strict application of proportionality.

            N.B.  -   There are 3 Parties – Sinn Fein, UUP and PUP – who each have the same remainder figure of 0.31.  There is one seat remaining between these 3 Parties and this should be allocated between these Parties over the 4-year term.  Accordingly, it is recommended that the extra place is allocated to the PUP in years 1 and 4 on the basis that it polled the highest first preference votes of the three Parties in the two District Electoral Areas of Victoria and Pottinger.  The seat would be allocated to UUP in year 2 and to the SF in year 3 under the same provisions.

2.4       West Belfast Partnership Board (8 Members)

            The strengths of the Parties in the Lower Falls and Upper Falls District Electoral Areas is set out below, together with the number of places which the Parties would be entitled to on the Board based upon the strict application of proportionality.

2.5       Greater Shankill Partnership Board (7 Members)

            The appointment of Members to this Board has, historically, been all the Members from the Court District Electoral Area together with any Unionist representatives from the Oldpark District Electoral Area.  If this is followed for the term commencing in 2011, then the allocation would be 5 DUP, 1 PUP and 1 Independent Member.

3          Resource Implications

3.1       None.

4          Equality and Good Relations Implications

4.1       The allocation of Members to the Partnership Boards is, primarily, determined by the strict application of proportionality so that the Parties have the number of seats on the Boards commensurate with their strength on the Council.

5          Recommendation

5.1       The Committee is recommended to make the appointments to the Partnership Boards on the basis set out in the report.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.