Resolved to appoint Councillor Michael Payne as Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority for the 2021-22 municipal year.

Resolved to appoint Councillor Toby Neal as Vice Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority for the 2021-22 municipal year.

None.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 February 2021

The Authority confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 26 February 2021 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

The Chair made the following announcements:

(a)  the Chair welcomed all of the new and returning members to the Authority, and the newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner. To promote collegiate working on the Authority, Group Leaders’ meetings and briefings have been established, to ensure stability and a long-term vision for the Service. It is hoped that there will be strong partnership working between the member Councils, the Emergency Services and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner;

(b)  the Chair acknowledged the time and contribution of departing members Councillors Andrew Brown, Stephen Garner, Vaughan Hopewell, Jawaid Khalil, John Longdon, Salma Mumtaz, Shuguftah Quddoos, Mike Quigley MBE, Sue Saddington, Parry Tsimbiridis and Jonathan Wheeler, and noted that he would write to them in thanks on the Authority’s behalf. He also extended thanks to the previous Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping. He paid particular tribute to Councillor Andrew Brown as the previous Group Leader for the Conservatives for his work on the Authority, particularly in the context of establishing its budgets. He welcomed Councillor Roger Jackson as the new Conservative Group Leader;

(c)  as the national regulations enabling meetings to take place remotely have ended, it is once again a legal requirement for Authority meetings to be held in person. The smaller committee and board meetings will take place at the Service HQ and, subject to social distancing requirements being lifted, meetings of the full Authority will also resume there. A members’ seminar will be held remotely on 4 June, and all members are encouraged to attend to participate in the informal discussion on shaping the future strategy of the Service, in the context of the wider sector;

(d)  the Service continues to respond positively within the constraints of the Coronavirus pandemic, and there is now a significant shift towards returning to ‘business as usual’, where possible. The Service has played a full part in responding to the emergency, and some staff continue to support the carrying out of testing and vaccinations. Substantial thanks is extended to all Service staff for their commitment to serving their communities during the pandemic;

(e)  the Service has been awarded the Gold level of the Armed Forces Covenant. As there are only seven organisations in the county that hold this award, it demonstrates the Service’s continual commitment to supporting Armed Forces personnel, both past and present.

Report of the Clerk and Monitoring Officer

Malcolm Townroe, Clerk and Monitoring Officer, presented a report on the membership of the Authority, its future meeting dates and the appointment process for its associated committees and boards. The following points were discussed:

(a)  the membership of the Authority has now been confirmed, with 12 appointments made from the County Council and 6 from the City Council. The Police and Crime Commissioner has also made a formal request to join the Authority as a voting member, to further develop joint working going forward;

(b)  the following appointments to committees were proposed:

Policy and Strategy Committee: Councillors Michael Payne (Chair), Sybil Fielding, Roger Jackson, Johno Lee, Toby Neal and Jason Zadrozny;

Human Resources Committee: Councillors Chantal Lee (Chair), Bethan Eddy, Tom Hollis, Roger Jackson, Gul Nawaz Khan and Toby Neal;

Community Safety Committee: Councillors Jason Zadrozny (Chair), Scott Cartlon, Eddie Cubley, Patience Uloma Ifediora, Toby Neal and Nick Raine;

Finance and Resources Committee: Councillors John Clarke (Chair), Callum Bailey, Steve Battlemuch, Eddie Cubley, Johno Lee and Toby Neal;

Personnel Committee: Councillors Callum Bailey, Robert Corden, Sybil Fielding, Roger Jackson, Chantal Lee and Toby Neal;

Appointments Committee: Councillors Michael Payne (Chair), John Clarke, Robert Corden, Bethan Eddy, Tom Hollis and Toby Neal;

(c)  the following appointments to the Strategic Inclusion Board were proposed: Councillors Scott Carlton, Roger Jackson, Chantal Lee, Toby Neal, Michael Payne and Jason Zadrozny. This Board is a significant body in ensuring that the Service represents an inclusive and safe workspace, so the attendance of all Authority members at its meetings is encouraged, even if an Authority member is not a formal member of the Board;

(d)  the following appointments to the Pensions Board were proposed: Councillor Sybil Fielding (councillor member), Craig Parkin (officer member) and Councillor Toby Neal (councillor substitute).

Resolved:

(1)  to appoint the Police and Crime Commissioner as a member of the Fire and Rescue Authority, will full voting rights;

(2)  to note the appointments to the Fire and Rescue Authority made by Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council;

(3)  to approve the proposed committee structure and meeting dates as set out in the report;

(4)  to approve the appointments to committees and boards as proposed by members at the meeting.