HarCEN (Exempt report attached).
Minutes:
The Board heard that HarCEN would be launching an appeal against the Council’s proposals to withdraw funding to HarCEN with effect from 15 January 2007 on the grounds of, broadly, concerns over effectiveness of the organisation.
At this stage in proceedings, officers and members of HarCEN left the meeting and took no further part in the discussion.
At this stage in proceedings, Board members were asked to declare their interests as follows:
· Paul Head – personal interest declared
· All HAVCO members – personal interests declared
· Lynne Featherstone MP – personal interest declared by representative Ed Butcher
· Cllr Reith – personal interest declared.
The Board was given a summary of the process that had been undertaken to date in respect of the proposal to withdraw funding as highlighted in the exempt report before the Board. The Board heard that it was important to ensure that whilst the process the evaluation of HarCEN and the subsequent proposals to withdraw funding were to be kept out of the public domain, the outcome of the appeals to be made and any further debate from this stage onward should be in public.
The Board then considered the composition of the Appeal Panel from amongst Board members that will consider the appeal lodged by HarCEN against the proposed withdrawal of funding. After a brief debate about the independence and suitability of certain Board members for this role, and discussion about concerns raised over the way in which Board members had been lobbied prior to this meeting for their suitability as Appeal Panel members, the following Members were agreed after a vote.
RESOLVED
12 Board members voted in favour of the following Appeal Panel membership:
· Andrew Billany
· Yolande Burgess
· Cllr Meehan
Two Board members voted against this membership.