Agenda item

NILGA Strategic Policy Network

            The Committee was advised that a letter has been received from NILGA seeking a nominee to the Strategic Policy Network.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council had 10 representatives on NILGA and 1 Member on the NILGA – Elected Member Development Network.  It had now formed a new Strategic Policy Network and was seeking the nomination of a Councillor to sit on the group.

NI Assembly All-Party Working Group on Universal Basic Income

            Correspondence had also been received from the Chair of the NI Assembly All-Party Working Group on UBI seeking Council representation on the Group.

            Officers and Councillors had previously worked informally on the development of the study on UBI through the Anti-Poverty Working Group. However, the working group had now evolved into a NI Assembly All Party Working Group and they had asked the Council to nominate 2 Members to attend the Group.

            If the Committee was minded to accept the invitations, then it was suggested that the nominations be added to the Council’s list of appointments to Outside Bodies.

            The Committee was reminded that, in accordance with the decision of the Committee of 26th June, should any other requests be received for Council representation on Outside Bodies during the Council Term, the party or parties who would have had the next available choice(s) under the Sainte Lague table would be asked to nominate a representative(s).

            Therefore, the choice to nominate to the NILGA Strategic Policy Network would be offered in the first instance to the DUP, with the positions on the UBI Working Group being offered to the Alliance Party and the SDLP.

            Greater Shankill Partnership Board/

            West Belfast Partnership Board

            A Member pointed out the Council still had to make appointments to the Greater Shankill and West Belfast Partnership Boards and suggested the appointments be made based on the Sainte Lague order of choices.

            In response, the Senior Democratic Services Officer reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 26th June, it had noted that the overall allocation of 14 Members across the two Boards was: 9 SF, 2 DUP, 1 PBPA, 1 SDLP and 1 Independent.  As in previous years, it had been agreed that the Party Leaders concerned meet to reach a compromise position for the allocation of seats on both Partnerships.  However, as this had not yet been done, selection using Sainte Lague would be a fair and equitable way of appointing Members.  He pointed out also that the selection of places to the Lower Falls and the Lower Shankill and Brown Square Building Successful Communities Forums, that is, 2 DUP, 1 SF and 1 TUV, across the 2 Forums, had also not been agreed and suggested also that the Committee considering use the Sainte Lague method to fill the seats.

            The Committee:

·        agreed to appoint a Member to the NILGA Strategic Policy Network;

·        accepted the invitation to appoint 2 Members to the NI Assembly All-Party Working Group on UBI;

·        agreed that they be added to the list of appointments to outside bodies;

·        noted the order of choices for appointment in accordance with Committee’s decision of 26th June; and

·        agreed that the appointments to the West Belfast Partnership Board and the Greater Shankill Partnership; and the to the Lower Shankill and Brown Square and Lower Falls Building Successful Communities Forum be made based on the St. Lague order of choices.