The General Purposes Committee met on Tuesday 4 June 2024, electing Councillor Shafi Ahmed as Vice-Chair and approving the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee also reviewed its work plan and terms of reference for the upcoming year, and agreed to nominate individuals for local authority governor positions at Tower Hamlets maintained schools. An update on elections was withdrawn from the agenda due to urgent work in the elections team, and a verbal update on constitution changes was provided.

Election of Vice-Chair

Councillor Shafi Ahmed was elected as the Vice-Chair of the General Purposes Committee for the 2024/25 municipal year, following a proposal by Councillor Abu Chowdhury and seconded by Councillor Musthak Ahmed.

Minutes

The unrestricted minutes from the previous General Purposes Committee meeting, held on 27 February 2024, were agreed as a correct record.

Work Plan

The Committee reviewed and noted the work plan for the 2024/25 municipal year.

General Purposes Committee, Terms of Reference 2024/25

The committee considered and noted its terms of reference, quorum, membership, and the dates of future meetings for the 2024/25 municipal year, as outlined in Appendices 1, 2, and 3 of the report. Members requested advance notice of any amended start times for meetings that might occur during Ramadan.

Local Authority Governor Appointments

The committee agreed to nominate applicants for local authority governor positions at maintained schools in Tower Hamlets. Farhad Ahmed, Head of School Governance and Traded Services, presented the report detailing the applicants. He also provided an update on efforts to encourage local residents to apply for these roles. It was noted that application forms had been amended to improve clarity regarding the length of residency in the borough, addressing a concern raised at the previous meeting.

Elections Update

An update on elections was withdrawn from the agenda. The Chair informed the committee that the Head of Electoral Services was unable to provide the update due to urgent and significant additional work following recent General Election announcements. Some committee members expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of opportunity to contribute to election preparations. The committee resolved that the elections update would be withdrawn, and a report on the outcomes of the GLA and General Elections would be presented at the next meeting.

Constitution Update

Joel West, Democratic Services Team Leader (Committees), provided a verbal update on constitution matters. He reported that the Constitution Working Group (CWG) was scheduled to meet on 19 June to review reports from the Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO) and potential actions related to the Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Review. An update on this work would be provided at the next General Purposes Committee meeting. Mr. West also mentioned that further documents would be circulated to CWG members for feedback on the direction of the constitution review. Minor changes to the constitution may also be required following the conclusion of a senior structure review being undertaken by the Chief Executive. The committee noted this update.