Guest Author Allan ROBERTS of Scarborough (whose powers of scrutiny have identified a very poor performance indeed on the part of Scarborough Borough Council Leader, Councillor Derek BASTIMAN [Con.] [Scalby ward]) informs readers about the quality of representation local fishermen are enjoying from the man elected and delegated to the task – in sharp contrast to the diligence of Whitby fisherman Jon WITTON, closely followed by Eastfield elected member, Tony RANDERSON [Lab.] [Eastfield ward].
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WHITBY & SCARBOROUGH SEA FISHERIES REPRESENTATION
The North Eastern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority is arguably the most important and influential authority affecting the Whitby and Scarborough inshore fishing industry. This is what it does: http://www.ne-ifca.gov.uk/about-us/.
At the Quarterly Meeting of the NEIFCA held on 10 Sept 2015, a report was discussed regarding the introduction by the MARINE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION (MMO – the parent authority of NEIFCA) of an assessment procedure to monitor the satisfactory performance of its members.
The report makes clear that there are two objectives;
- That the first objective of the assessment is for those externally who are making the decision about whether to re-appoint a general member to have sufficient information about their performance to make a fair decision based on merit.
- That the second objective is for the assessment to assist the appointee and Authority Chair internally in ensuring that appointees maximise the effectiveness of their contribution to the work of IFCA and, as with any performance assessment, that the process should be transparent and objective.
The report also states:
“For the avoidance of doubt these arrangements do not apply to council members of the Authority, who are appointed by the relevant Council. The performance of these elected members will be assessed by the arrangements that apply for each relevant Council.
These arrangements also do not apply to the general members who are employees of the Marine Management Organization. As public servants acting as part of their official duties these members will be subject to the MMO’s performance management policy and procedure.
Nor do these arrangements apply to members appointed by Natural England and the Environment Agency, who will be subject to the relevant performance management regime for their respective organizations”.
It is apparent, then, that the only members to be assessed are the General members, who are described in the report as thus;
“The General members are appointed by the MMO, not NEIFCA, based on their knowledge and expertise and who applied to become members of the NEIFCA, giving their time unpaid because they want to be involved and make a contribution to the overall aims of the Authority”.
The report also “proposes that the assessment is made as simple as possible consisting of attendance record, short two way conversation regarding contribution at meetings of the Authority and generally throughout the year.”
The report concludes by stating, “As these are annual assessments and therefore a backward look at performance over the previous 12 months, it is intended that they will be carried out in April/May each year.”
A template was provided by the MMO to guide the assessors. This recommends three criteria/requirements (see below).
- Attendance-record throughout the year and making an informed and positive input to authority meetings.
- Behaviour – in accordance with the Nolan principles.
- Representational – as a diligent and credible ambassador for the Authority.
An inspection of the quarterly NEIFCA minutes shows two members who each have a notieworthy record of attendance.
One is John Witton, a Whitby fisherman, who has an outstanding record of attendance and who, to his credit, has been in attendance at every quarterly meeting of NEIFCA since September 2012.
The other is NYCC and SBC Councillor, Derek Bastiman, who is also the Leader of SBC, and who has a less than inspiring record of attendance, having attended just one meeting since his appointment to NEIFCA, in June 2013 – with his only discernible input to NEIFCA being to apologize for failing to attend the previous meeting!
Cllr Bastiman is a member appointed by NYCC, and so is not subject to an annual ‘assessment’ of his fitness for the post.
John Witton is a General member appointed by the MMO, and so is subject to an annual ‘assessment’ of his fitness for the post.
Below are the attendance records of Cllr Bastiman and John Witton, as taken from the NEIFCA minutes, and a copy of the assessment template.
The facts indicate, in my view, that Cllr Bastiman is ‘not fit for purpose’
All credit to John WITTON.
Credit, too, to Tony RANDERSON, whose ward is landlocked.
North Eastern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority
QUARTERLY MEETING 3 December 2015
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr T Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 20th October 2015
APOLOGIES
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 11th June 2015
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
QUARTERLY MEETING 5th March 2015
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman,
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 4th December 2014
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 11th September 2014
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 5th June 2014
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 13th March 2014
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 5th December 2013
APOLOGIES:
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Derek Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 12th September 2013
APOLOGIES:
Cllr Derek Bastiman noted an error in previous minutes, when he was incorrectly recorded as present.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 13th June 2013
APOLOGIES:
Cllr Derek Bastiman joined the group, but did not attend the meeting.
Apologies of absence were received from Cllr Bastiman.
ATTENDED:
John Witton
Cllr Tony Randerson
QUARTERLY MEETING 21st March 2013
ATTENDED:
Councillor Peter Popple North Yorkshire County Council
Mr Shaun Wood MMO appointee
John Witton
QUARTERLY MEETING 6th December 2012
ATTENDED:
The Chairman welcomed Mr S Wood to their first meeting of the North Eastern IFCA.
John Witton
QUARTERLY MEETING 13th September 2012
ATTENDED:
John Witton
SCIENCE & GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP 20th October 2015
ATTENDED:
John Witton
SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP 29th April 2015
ATTENDED:
John Witton
SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP 30th July 2014
ATTENDED:
John Witton
SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP 15 AUGUST 2013
ATTENDED:
John Witton
SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP 30 OCTOBER 2012
ATTENDED:
John Witton
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