Issue - meetings

Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Head of Operations to present the report.

DECISION:  

1.     To approve the Terms of Reference and appointment process for the establishment of a new Business Advisory Board following transfer of the Growth Deal and to delegate the implementation process to the Interim Chief Executive.

2.     To approve the role description for the two new Non-Executive Advisor roles and
authorise the Interim Chief Executive to undertake all necessary steps to procure candidates to be recommended for appointment to the CJC’s Economic Well-being Sub-committee.

3.     To delegate to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, the Chair and Vice Chair the authority to make any minor amendments to the Terms of Reference and role descriptions in response to any feedback received from Welsh and UK Governments prior to implementation.

The report was presented by the Head of Operations.

RESOLVED:

1.     To approve the Terms of Reference and appointment process for the establishment of a new Business Advisory Board following transfer of the Growth Deal and to delegate the implementation process to the Interim Chief Executive.

2.     To approve the role description for the two new Non-Executive Advisor roles and
authorise the Interim Chief Executive to undertake all necessary steps to procure candidates to be recommended for appointment to the CJC’s Economic Well-being Sub-committee.

3.     To delegate to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, the Chair and Vice Chair the authority to make any minor amendments to the Terms of Reference and role descriptions in response to any feedback received from Welsh and UK Governments prior to implementation.

DISCUSSION

The Terms of Reference of a new private sector advisory body (Advisory Business Board) were presented as well as role descriptions for two new Non-Executive Advisors. It was explained that developing these would ensure that the procedures of the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee met what was expected in order to implement the Growth Deal. It was added that presenting these was also in response to the Welsh and UK Governments' recommendations regarding appointing non-executive advisors.

It was confirmed that officers had received legal advice on the model for the appointment of non-executive advisors and it was noted that the Corporate Joint Committee arrangements were based on local government legal requirements for individuals who were in a role and receiving payment for services.

The employment package of the non-executive advisors was considered and it was asked if consideration had been given to a daily fee for their services. In response, the Interim Chief Executive confirmed that work had been carried out in order to establish a daily pay scale for the nature of the appropriate advisory service. It was explained that there was a wide range of advisory employment arrangements and that they were very diverse. It was confirmed that salaries for daily advisory services would be determined as the Joint Committee succeeded in refining the type of advisory service required.

In response to considerations that the non-executive advisors would be required to have Welsh language skills in order to be appointed, the Interim Chief Executive confirmed that the Welsh language was vital to the work of the Joint Committee and confirmed that every effort would be made to try to find advisors who were Welsh-speaking in order to assist the work of the Joint Committee. However, it was noted that consideration would be given to any application in order to determine whether the right level of advice would be provided to the Advisory Business Board in order to inform decisions of value to the region. It was confirmed that these roles would be advertised to indicate that Welsh language skills would be desirable but not necessary.