THE STANDING ORDERS OF THE ITA EXECUTIVE BOARD
1. INTRODUCTION
The ITA Executive Board was established on 20 November 2009 as part of interim governance proposals in line with the objectives of the Transport Act 2008. The ITA Executive Board is a committee appointed by the Joint Authority, pursuant to s101 of the Local Government Act 1972, for the purpose of carrying out all of its functions to the extent to which these may lawfully be delegated subject to the Scheme of Delegation.
2. APPOINTMENT OF THE ITA EXECUTIVE BOARD
(1) The Joint Authority shall appoint to the ITA Executive Board such number of its Members as they consider may best deliver the following composition having regard always to the political balance requirements of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989:
(a) the Chair;
(b) the Deputy Chair;
(c) the Shadow Chair; and
(d) not fewer than 5 further Members who shall where possible include the five District Spokespersons appointed by the Joint Authority.
(2) The Joint Authority shall appoint the ITA Executive Board at the Annual Meeting of the Joint Authority and each political group represented on the ITA Executive Board shall at the same time nominate an alternate member of their number for that year who shall be the only person entitled to sit on the ITA Executive Board in the event that a member of that political group is unable to attend a meeting of the ITA Executive Board.
(3) The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Joint Authority shall be the Chair and Deputy Chair of the ITA Executive Board respectively.
(4) Save in the case of the appointment of the ITA Executive Board at the Annual Meeting of the Joint Authority, on there being a change in the membership of the Joint Authority the Clerk shall ascertain whether political balance rules would require the political representation on the ITA Executive Board to change or not and that shall be the first item of business on the agenda of the next meeting of the ITA Executive Board.
(5) Where political balance rules require there to be a change in the political composition of the ITA Executive Board under sub-paragraph (4) above, the relevant political groups shall decide which of their number is to stand down and which is to be appointed to that place. Any change will require ratification of the ITA Executive Board and/or the Appointed Members Committee.
3. MEETINGS AND CHAIR
(1) The ITA Executive Board shall meet every month except May and August or where the Chair has determined that there is insufficient business for the ITA Executive Board to conduct.
(2) An Extraordinary Meeting of the ITA Executive Board may be convened at any time by the Clerk upon the instructions of the Chair.
(3) At each meeting of the ITA Executive Board the Chair shall preside.
(4) In the Absence of the Chair the Deputy Chair shall preside.
(5) If both the Chair and Deputy Chair of the ITA Executive Board are absent from a meeting of the ITA Executive Board, the Clerk shall invite members of the ITA Executive Board present to select another member present to preside at the meeting until such time as the Chair or Deputy Chair joins the meeting.
(6) Any power or duty of the Chair in relation to the conduct of a meeting of the ITA Executive Board shall be exercised by the person presiding at the meeting.
4. NOTICE OF MEETINGS AND AGENDA
(1) Paragraph 4 of the Joint Authority’s Standing Orders shall apply equally in relation to notices of the meetings of the ITA Executive Board and the setting of the Agenda as if the words “ITA Executive Board” replaced “Joint Authority” where appropriate.
(2) An item of business referred to the Clerk by the Chair of a Scrutiny Committee pursuant to paragraph 33(7) shall appear on the agenda of the next meeting of the ITA Executive Board.
5. QUORUM
No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the ITA Executive Board unless at least 50% of its membership (rounded up to the nearest whole number) are present. If there is not a quorum present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to a time fixed by the Chair. If there is no quorum and the Chair does not fix a time for the reconvened meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the next meeting.
6. ITEMS ORDER AND CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
(1) The following paragraphs of the Joint Authority’s Standing Orders shall apply to the proceedings of the ITA Executive Board substituting “ITA Executive Board” for “Joint Authority” where appropriate:-
a) Paragraph 13 – Consideration of Items of Business
b) Paragraph 15 – Statutory Duty of the Joint Authority
c) Paragraph 16 – Amendments
d) Paragraph 17 – Member’s Items
e) Paragraph 18 – Order of Business
f) Paragraph 19 – Minutes
g) Paragraph 20 – Discussion Affecting Officers
h) Paragraph 21 – Voting
i) Paragraph 29 – Disturbances at Meetings
j) Paragraph 31 – Suspension of Standing Orders
(2) A member of the ITA Executive Board may require a particular item of business to be discussed at a meeting of the ITA Executive Board in the same manner as with a meeting of the Joint Authority in accordance with paragraph 5(4).
(3) The ITA Executive Board shall have due regard to but shall not be bound by the findings and recommendations of any report brought before it by a non executive committee.
(4) Following the meeting of the ITA Executive Board or of the Appointed Members Committee (as the case may be) the Clerk shall ensure that the minutes or some other summary of the decisions made at the meeting shall be notified to all members of the Joint Authority sitting on Scrutiny Committees as soon as possible and in any event within 2 clear working days.
7. FUNCTION OF THE ITA EXECUTIVE BOARD
(1) Subject to these Standing Orders and in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation (as amended from time to time) the business of the Joint Authority shall so far as lawfully possible be delegated to the ITA Executive Board.
(2) The ITA Executive Board shall not further delegate any executive function that has been delegated to it by the Joint Authority to any committee or sub committee except in accordance with paragraph 8 of this Schedule.
(3) Where the ITA Executive Board appoints a replacement Chair of any non executive committee in accordance with these Standing Orders the appointment shall be notified to the members of the Joint Authority.
8. DELEGATION TO CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE ITA EXECUTIVE BOARD TO TAKE ACTION OF AN URGENT NATURE ON ITS BEHALF
(1) For the purposes of dealing with any matter deemed to be of an urgent nature by the Chair, or in his absence the Deputy Chair, there shall be established an Appointed Members Committee.
(2) The Appointed Members Committee shall be politically balanced and must always include the Chair, Deputy Chair and Shadow Chair of the Joint Authority and if required, for political balance, one further member of the ITA Executive Board. The Appointed Members Committee may authorise any action on behalf of the Joint Authority that will not admit of delay.
(3) Any member of the Appointed Members Committee may appoint any other member of the ITA Executive Board to attend and act on their behalf at a meeting that they are unable to attend and shall have notified the Clerk accordingly before the relevant meeting.
(4) The Chair of the ITA Executive Board or in his absence the Deputy Chair shall chair meetings of the Appointed Members Committee held pursuant to this Standing Order.
(5) The quorum for such meetings shall be 2 members.
(6) In the case of an equality of votes, the member chairing the meeting shall have a casting vote; and
(7) The decisions taken shall be reported to the next meeting of the ITA Executive Board and appear in the minutes of that meeting and be notified to the Scrutiny Committees.
9. ASSISTANCE FROM MEMBERS AND OFFICERS WITH ITEMS OF BUSINESS
The ITA Executive Board may from the membership of the Joint Authority appoint a task and finish group to undertake to report on any matter deemed appropriate by the ITA Executive Board. At the request of the Chair or the Clerk, Officers shall assist such a task and finish group with their business. Any report of a task and finish group shall be brought to a future meeting of the ITA Executive Board for consideration of its findings and recommendations.
10. ITEMS CALLED IN BY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
Where a Calling In Meeting of a Scrutiny Committee has made a recommendation in respect of a decision of the ITA Executive Board, the Clerk having been notified shall ensure that the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee shall be an item of business on the agenda of the next meeting of the ITA Executive Board (or of the Joint Authority if this shall occur sooner). The Clerk shall also notify the appropriate Officers of the PTE in order that so far as reasonably possible and to the extent lawfully possible no business shall be conducted by the PTE in furtherance of the decision that has been called in until the ITA Executive Board or the Joint Authority (as the case may be) has resolved either to uphold or vary the decision first made.
