The General Purposes Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Tuesday 27 February 2024, agreeing to nominate new local authority governors for maintained schools and approving updates to the Council's Constitution. The committee also noted the ongoing work of the Constitution Working Group.

Local Authority Governor Applications

The committee agreed to nominate applicants for the position of local authority governor at Tower Hamlets maintained schools. Lorraine Feyi-Shonubi, Governance and Clerking Manager, presented the report, which included supplementary information on the processes for identifying and nominating suitable candidates. While the committee welcomed efforts to increase applications and diversity among school governors, some members expressed disappointment that the information provided did not fully address concerns about local representation, the number of applicants from outside the borough, and detailed selection criteria. Despite these concerns, the nominees were approved, with a request that these issues be addressed at a future meeting.

Constitution Updates

Matthew Mannion, Head of Democratic Services, presented proposed updates to the Council's Constitution. The committee agreed to these updates, which included changes to the terms of reference for several committees, such as the Audit Committee and the Licensing Committee. The changes to the Audit Committee's terms of reference will come into effect from the new municipal year, following the Annual Meeting of Council. The committee also noted the ongoing work of the Constitution Working Group, which is reviewing the Constitution for legal compliance and potential improvements. A specific point raised by members concerned the inclusion of political proportionality in the terms of reference for appeal sub-committees, and the committee requested further advice on this matter. The updated terms of reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board were also noted.