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A report was submitted by the Corporate Director (Corporate Services) inviting the Council to consider making appointments to the committees and outside bodies as detailed in sections 4 and 5 of the report.
The meeting also noted that under reference to paragraph 17 of the minute of this Council dated 7 December 2016, it was agreed the Social Work Complaints Review Committee would cease to have statutory functions from 1 April 2017 save for dealing with any outstanding referrals. Since that time an outstanding case has been referred by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman which therefore requires the temporary re-instatement of the Social Work Complaints Review Committee.
Following consideration the Council approved the undernoted appointments to committees as follows:
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Social Work Complaints Review Committee – Councillors Brown and Warren
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Transforming Boards – agreed that the membership be deferred for consideration in order for further discussion at a Group Leaders’s meeting due to be held later that afternoon and brought back to the special meeting on 26 September 2018.
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Leisure Estate Review Project Board – agreed that Councillor Warren be included as a member of this Board.
Following further consideration the Council noted the previously agreed changes to the outside bodies which had been circulated to all members and that consideration would require to be given separately to those where agreement had not been reached. Thereafter the undernoted appointments were agreed as follows:
ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS CHAMPION
Councillor D Gatt
AUCHERNACK TRUST
Councillors G Alexander, L Creswell, C Feaver and A McLean
BANFFSHIRE EDUCATIONAL TRUST JOINT BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Councillors T Coull, D Ross and S Warren
BOARD OF BUSINESS LOANS SCOTLAND
Councillor T Coull
BUSINESS GATEWAY
Councillor J Cowe
CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK
Councillor Coull seconded by Councillor Warren moved that Councillor Laing be appointed to the Board
As an amendment Councillor Divers , seconded by Councillor Macrae moved that Councillor Ross be appointed
On a division there voted:
For the Motion (9): Councillors Coull, Warren, Bremner, Coy, Laing, Leadbitter, A McLean, Morrison and Patience
For the Amendment (13): Councillors Diver, Macrae, Alexander, Brown, Cowe, Cowie, Creswell, Eagle, Feaver, Gatt, M McLean, R McLean and Shepherd
Abstentions (0)
Accordingly the Amendment became the finding of the meeting and Councillor Ross was appointed.
CASTLE TO CATHEDRAL
Councillor R McLean
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU (CAB) BOARD OF DIRECTORS (ADVISERS)
Councillors J Divers and S Morrison
CITY OF ELGIN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID)
Councillor J Divers
Councillor Coy (Observer)
CONVENTION OF SCOTTISH LOCAL AUTHORITIES (COSLA)
Councillors G Leadbitter, S Morrison and T Eagle
COSLA LEADERS MEETING
Councillor G Leadbitter
COSLA BOARDS
Children and Young people - Councillor S Warren
Community and Wellbeing - Councillor L Laing
Environment and Economy - Councillor G Leadbitter
Health and Social Care - Councillor S Morrison
CONVENTION OF THE HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS
Councillor G Leadbitter
COUNTY OF BANFF BURSARY FUND: BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Councillor Shepherd
DICK BEQUEST TRUST SCHEME
Councillor D Ross
EQUALITIES CHAMPION
Councillor S Morrison
FINDHORN BAY LOCAL NATURE RESERVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Councillor C Feaver
FINDHORN, NAIRN, SPEYSIDE LOCAL PLAN DISTRICT STRATEGIC STEERING GROUP
Councillor Coy seconded by Councillor Bremner moved that Councillor A McLean be appointed to the Group.
As an amendment Councillor Eagle seconded by Councillor M McLean moved that Councillor Feaver be appointed
On a division there voted:
For the Motion (12): Councillors Coy, Bremner, Coull, Cowe, Cowie, Laing, Leadbitter, A McLean, Morrison, Patience, Shepherd and Warren.
For the Amendment (7): Councillors Eagle, M McLean, Brown, Feaver, Gatt, Macrae and R McLean.
Abstentions (3): Councillors Alexander, Creswell and Divers.
.
Accordingly the motion became the finding of the meeting and Councillor A McLean was appointed.
FORRES GOLF COURSE: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Councillors L Creswell and A McLean
FOUNDATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS (UHI)
Councillors C Feaver and A Patience
GRAMPIAN NHS BOARD
Under reference to paragraph 12 of the Minute of the meeting of Moray Council dated 22 May 2013 Councillor A McLean moved that Councillor S Morrison be nominated as the Council’s nominated representative on the Grampian NHS Board stating that previous guidance as minuted at that meeting stated that appointment to this Board is restricted to the Council Leader, Depute Leader (Convener), or Chairperson of the Health and Social Care Services Committee which has since been overtaken by the Moray Integration Joint Board (MIJB). He was of the opinion that, as this guidance still stands and stressed the strong link needed between the Council’s Administration, the MIJB and the NHS Board, and as the Convener currently holds two of those roles, she would be the ideal person to go forward in this role.
For clarification Councillor Leadbitter stated that as this was a Ministerial appointment, the Administration Group were not proposing the appointment of Councillor Morrison, they were proposing that a request be made to the Scottish Government Minister to change the appointment to the Board.
The Head of Legal and Democratic Services confirmed that it was competent for the Council to write to the Chairman of the NHS Board expressing its preference in regard to its nominated representative and that the Board make that onward recommendation to the Scottish Minister.
Councillor Brown stated that he would not resign nor had any intention of so doing for the following reasons. In terms of the information the Council had in relation to the time commitment to NHS Grampian Board of one day per month, this was not accurate, with the real time commitment necessary to properly fulfil the role was approximately 30 days per year which included attendance at other NHS Board committees, development days and ad hoc meetings. He stated that he would question whether a Senior Member of this minority Administration is in a position to dedicate that amount of time to the role. He further stated that whilst he had previously thought that this appointment and the role of the Chair of the MIJB had congruency but the reality of the last year had confirmed the reverse as in his opinion there are inherent conflicts in these roles driven by the financial difficulties of all of the parties resulting in conflicts in relation to the roles of governance which he advised have been identified by NHS Boards across Scotland. He further referred to the difference between the role of a Board member and that of a Councillor, stating that an NHS Board functions as a team and not a committee and he has made it his mission to be a full member of the team and to gain the trust and respect of the other Board Members which is an essential element to successfully influence policy. He further referred to the investment made by the NHS Board in his personal development. He also referred to the speculation in regard to the stability of the NHS Board following the retirement of the NHS Grampian Chief Executive, the current Board chair not seeking to renew his term of office which expires in the new year and the term of office of the Vice Chair ending this month and was of the opinion that it was not right at this point to add to the number of Board changes in NHS Grampian and therefore would not be resigning. Whilst it was clearly the Council’s choice to write to the Minister to remove him from office, he would also be in a position to make his own representation to the Minister.
Thereafter Councillor A McLean, seconded by Councillor Alexander moved that the Council write to the Chairman of the NHS Board expressing its preference that Councillor S Morrison be the Council’s nominated representative on the Grampian NHS Board and that the Chairman make representation to the Scottish Minister to appoint her in preference to the current appointee Councillor Brown.
As an amendment Councillor Gatt, seconded by Councillor Eagle moved that Councillor Brown remain as the Council’s nominated representative on the Grampian NHS Board.
On a division there voted:
For the Motion: (14) Councillors A McLean, Alexander, Bremner, Coull, Cowe, Cowie, Coy, Creswell, Laing, Leadbitter, Morrison, Patience, Shepherd and Warren.
For the Amendment: (7) Councillors Gatt, Eagle, Brown, Feaver, M McLean, Macrae and R McLean
Abstentions: (1) Councillor Divers.
Accordingly the Motion became the finding of the meeting and it was agreed that the Council write to the Chairman of the NHS Board expressing its preference that Councillor S Morrison be the Council’s nominated representative on the Grampian NHS Board and that the Chairman make representation to the Scottish Minister to appoint her in preference to the current appointee Councillor Brown.
GRAMPIAN VENTURE CAPITAL FUND LIMITED
Councillors J. Cowe and D Bremner – no further meetings but both required to
sign off final accounts.
HIGHLAND AND MORAY AREA SUPPORT TEAM
Councillor F Brown and S Warren
HIGHLAND RESERVE FORCES & CADETS ASSOCIATION – NORTHERN AREA COMMITTEE
Councillor F Brown
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP
Councillor G Leadbitter
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS STRATEGIC TRANSPORT PARTNERHSIP (HITRANS)
Councillor J Cowe
Substitute - Councillor G Leadbitter
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE
Councillor G Leadbitter
JOINT ENERGY FROM WASTE PROJECT - ELECTED MEMBERS ENGAGEMENT GROUP
Councillors G Cowie, J Divers and G Leadbitter
Substitute – Councillor D Bremner
KNOCKANDO WOOLMILL TRUST
Councillor D Ross
MORAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Councillor G Leadbitter
MORAY COMMUNITY JUSTICE
Councillor Coull seconded by Councillor Warren moved that Councillor Coy be appointed to Moray Community Justice.
Councillor Macrae, seconded by Councillor Leadbitter moved that Councillor Divers be appointed to Moray Community Justice.
Councillor Alexander, seconded by Councillor Shepherd moved that Councillor Creswell be appointed to Moray Community Justice.
In noting that there were 3 nominations for 2 appointments, and in terms of Standing Order 63(b) a secret ballot was held between the 3 nominations from which those candidates with the highest number of votes were appointed.
Councillor Creswell – 12 votes
Councillor Coy – 10 votes
Councillor Divers – 22 votes
Accordingly Councillors J Divers and L Creswell were appointed to Moray Community Justice.
MORAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
Councillor G Leadbitter
MORAY LEISURE CENTRE BOAD OF DIRECTORS
Councillors F Brown, M Macrae and A Patience
MORAY LOCAL OUTDOOR ACCESS FORUM (LOAF)
Councillor L Laing
MORAY TWINNING ASSOCIATION
Councillor J Allan
MORAY WOMEN’S AID - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Councillors G Leadbitter
Substitute: Councillor P Coy
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY GROUP
Councillors D Bremner and T Eagle
NORTH EAST LOCAL PLAN DISTRICT STEERING GROUP
Councillor D Bremner
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY GROUP
Councillors M Macrae and S Warren
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND PENSION FUND – PENSIONS BOARD
Councillor J Cowe
NORTH EAST SENSORY SERVICES (OBSERVER)
Councillor T Coull
NORTHERN ROADS COLLABORATION COMMITTEE
Councillors Cowie and G Leadbitter
SCOTLAND EXCEL JOINT COMMITTEE
Councillor A McLean
SCOTTISH JOINT COUNCIL FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
Councillor J Divers
SCOTTISH NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL
Councillor D Gatt
VICTIM SUPPORT
Councillor P Coy