Agenda item

            (Ms. S. Toland, Head of Environmental Health/Lead Operations Officer, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was advised that the Council was required, under Part 3 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, to establish the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership and the four District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships.  On 1st April 2015, in line with the Local Government Reorganisation, the current Belfast structures for the five partnerships would be reconstituted.

            The Committee was advised that the existing partnership structures would continue to function for the duration of the shadow period, that is, from 22nd May to the reconstitution date on 1st April, 2015.  The current Members would hold office until the day before the reconstitution date.  However, during the shadow period, should a member of any of the partnerships leave office for whatever reason, the Council or the Northern Ireland Policing Board could not fill any vacancies.  As part of the reconstitution process, the Joint Committee (Policing Board and Department of Justice) was required to conduct a recruitment process for the recruitment of independent members to the partnerships which was scheduled to commence in October, 2014.  The Joint Committee recognised that there were many competing pressures for Councils in the run up to 1st April and that it might not be possible to have the Political Members nominated in time for the recruitment process for independent members to commence.  In order to resolve a way forward and having discussed the matter with a number of Chief Executives, the Joint Committee had agreed a procedure that would enable the process of recruiting independent members to begin.  That would enable an appointable pool of candidates, from which Independent Members could be appointed by the Policing Board, once the make-up of the Elected Members of the partnerships was known.

            The proposed process was that in advance of September, 2014, the Shadow Council would appoint a panel comprising at least two, and up to four councillors, one of whom would act as the Chair, who would meet along with an Independent Panel Member appointed by the Policing Board to shortlist and interview the independent candidates.  The Council was required to seek to ensure that the panel was representative in terms of gender and community background.  Furthermore, to ensure consistency and because of the possibility of overlap in membership, it was recommended that the same panel should be involved in selecting independent members for the Partnership and the four District partnerships.  Guidance on the process for appointing independent members, including key milestones, would be issued by the Policing Board, and training would be provided for those Panel Members during September/October, 2014.

      Moved by Councillor Jones,

      Seconded by Councillor Long

      That the Committee agrees to appoint one representative from each of the four largest parties on the Shadow Council, that is, Sinn Fein, DUP, SDLP and Alliance.

Amendment

      Moved by Councillor Robinson,

      Seconded by Councillor Hutchinson

      That the Committee agrees to appoint to seek flexibility from the Joint Committee to appoint up to six Members from different parties, two of whom might be observers.

            On a vote by show of hands, eleven members voted for the amendment and three against and it was declared carried.  The Amendment was put as the substantive motion, when twelve members voted for and none against and was declared carried.