29 October 2012
Witnesses: Olly Buston, Executive Director, Members and Supporters, Labour Party, Steve Hitchins, Lead on Be a Councillor, Liberal Democrats, and Bob Neill MP, Vice Chairman, Local Government, Conservative Party; and Brandon Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government
22 October 2012
Witnesses: Paul Wheeler, Director, Political Skills Forum, Nan Sloane, Director, Centre for Women and Democracy, Robert Howard, former councillor, and Councillor Robert Knowles, Leader, Waverley Borough Council; and Councillor Alycia James, Lancaster City Council, Councillor Rowan Draper, Stafford Borough Council, Councillor Simon Killane, Wiltshire Council, and Councillor Marianne Overton, Lincolnshire County Council and North Kesteven District Council
17 October 2012
Witnesses: Cllr Robert Gordon CBE, Leader, Hertfordshire County Council, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Leader of the Opposition, Hertfordshire County Council, Cllr Lucinda Yeadon, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Leeds City Council, and Cllr Stewart Golton, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Leeds City Council
9 July 2012
Witnesses: Councillor Paul Watson, Leader, Councillor Celia Gofton, Portfolio Holder, Responsive Services and Customer Care, and Dr Dave Smith, Chief Executive, Sunderland City Council; and Councillor Robert Oliver, Conservative Group Leader, Councillor Colin Wakefield, Independent Group Leader, Councillor David Tate, Chair of Scrutiny, Councillor Dianne Snowdon, Area Vice Chair, Washington Area and Labour Group Secretary, and Councillor Michael Mordey, Policy Member, City Services; and Councillor Paul Watson, Chair, Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader, South Tyneside Council, Councillor Jeff Reid, Leader, Northumberland County Council, and Councillor Judith Wallace, Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside, Association of North East Councils; and Alan Wright, Chairman, City of Sunderland Conservatives, Councillor Tom Wright, Secretary, Washington and Sunderland West Constituency Labour Party, and Chair of Sunderland City Labour Group, and Geoff Pryke, Delegated Nominating Officer, Wearside Liberal Democrats
2 July 2012
Witnesses: Dame Jane Roberts, former Chair of the Councillors Commission, Professor Colin Copus, Professor of Local Politics, De Montfort University, Liz Richardson, Research Fellow, University of Manchester, Professor Michael Thrasher, Professor of Politics, Plymouth University, Councillor Peter Fleming, Chair, Improvement Board, Local Government Association, Tim Gilling, Acting Executive Director, Centre for Public Scrutiny and Caroline Abrahams, Director of External Affairs, Age UK