Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be located at the following link:-

http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=546&MId=4156&Ver=4

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance, Aberdeen City Council setting out various governance issues that required to be addressed.

(A)         Appointment of ONE Representatives and Substitutes

In terms of section 57(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the report advised that the local authority members present were required to formally appoint the named representatives of ONE and their named substitutes.  The Joint Committee heard that Sir Ian Wood, Mr Patrick Machray and Mr Stephen Logan were the named representatives, and that Ms Jennifer Craw and Mr Colin Crosby would be named substitutes.  The third substitute place would remain vacant.

The report recommended –

that the Joint Committee formally appoint the named representatives of ONE.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

(B)         Appointment of Chairperson

Roderick MacBeath, Senior Democratic Services Manager, advised that, in terms of Standing Order 5, the Joint Committee required to appoint a Chairperson.  Mr MacBeath stated that while the appointment would usually be for one year, as specified in Standing Order 6, it was suggested that the first Chairperson would hold office until the May 2017 elections.  Following the elections, one year would become the standard term of office.

Mr MacBeath then sought nominations for Chairperson of the Joint Committee, whereupon:-

            Councillor Kitts-Hayes moved, seconded by Councillor Young:-

that Councillor Jennifer Laing be appointed as Chairperson of the Joint Committee.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)           to appoint Councillor Laing as Chairperson;  and

(ii)          to suspend Standing Order 6 to allow Councillor Laing to hold office until the elections of May 2017.

At this juncture, Councillor Laing assumed the chair.

(C)         Appointment of Vice Chairperson

The Chairperson advised that, in terms of Standing Order 7, the Joint Committee required to appoint a Vice Chairperson.  Again, it was noted that the appointment would usually be for one year, but that it was proposed that the first Vice Chairperson hold office until the May 2017 elections, following which one year would become the standard term of office.

The report advised that in terms of Standing Order 8, the Vice Chairperson should be a member of the Constituent Authority that did not have a member appointed as Chairperson.

The Chairperson then sought nominations for Vice Chairperson of the Joint Committee, whereupon:-

Councillor Young moved, seconded by Councillor Richard Thomson:-

that Councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes be appointed as Vice Chairperson of the Joint Committee.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)         to appoint Councillor Kitts-Hayes as Vice Chairperson;  and

(ii)        to suspend Standing Order 6 to allow Councillor Kitts-Hayes to hold office until the elections of May 2017.

The Joint Committee had before it a set of proposed meeting dates for approval.

The proposed dates were as follows:-

9.30am, Friday 22 April 2016, Committee Room 4, Town House

9.30am, Friday 10 June 2016, Committee Room 4, Town House

9.30am, Friday 22 July 2016, Committee Room 2, Town House

9.30am, Friday 9 September 2016, Committee Room 2, Town House

9.30am, Friday 11 November 2016, Committee Room 2, Town House

The Joint Committee resolved:-

to approve the dates.

The Joint Committee then received an update from Richard Sweetnam, Head of Economic Development, Aberdeen City Council, and Belinda Miller, Head of Economic Development, Aberdeenshire Council.

Mr Sweetnam advised that the draft template would be with Civil Servants next week.  There would be no funding released until Treasury compliant appraisals had been completed.  It was hoped that a single appraisal system could be agreed with the UK Government and Scottish Government.  The links would be confirmed between projects and programmes and Mr Sweetnam and Ms Miller were working on project management proposals. 

In relation to the implementation plan, the Joint Committee heard that Project Inception Documents had been drafted and were due to be submitted.  These provided a half page summary of the key milestones of current projects and had been led by each of the project teams.

At UK Government level, a cross-government departmental team was being assembled for the Scottish City Region Deals and feedback was expected shortly.  Mr Sweetnam advised that a date was awaited for a meeting between the two Governments and Aberdeen City Region Deal officers.  It was hoped that this could be arranged before the City Deal Agreement was drafted.

At present, no distribution of funding could be confirmed.  The Joint Committee heard that the funding could take the form of block grants to Government or to accountable bodies, but this was not yet confirmed.

Ms Miller referred to the separate announcement by the Scottish Government and advised that it was hoped that the signing of the agreement for this funding could be under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee as local body, but this was still to be confirmed.  Mr Sweetnam noted that the agreement would provide more detail and the timing of the funding release.

In relation to the various meetings to be held, Sir Ian Wood requested that representatives of ONE be involved and the Joint Committee concurred.  It was agreed that ONE should be involved at an early stage and Mr Sweetnam advised that he would liaise with Ms Craw over meeting dates.  Sir Ian Wood also advised that work around the Oil and Gas Technology Centre was moving forward quickly and that he would liaise with officers over plans on how this was to be dealt with.

The Joint Committee discussed the additional £254 million announcement, and Ms Miller stated that it was hoped that the additional funding could fall under the same structure as the Region Deal, but that it was too early to determine this at present, and so could be reported back to the Joint Committee in future for discussion.

-     COUNCILLOR JENNIFER LAING, Chairperson