Issue - meetings

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager introduced the report setting out two proposed changes to the constitution to be recommended to Council in July 2022.  The aim was for these to be made before the formal 6 month review of the constitution as they were having implications now.  The report also asked the committee to note the uses of the Monitoring Officer’s delegation to amend the constitution, and to indicate whether they wished to continue to receive such a report and at what frequency.

The first recommended change was to Part A2, 7.6.2 to remove the requirement for a decision to have been before a Policy Advisory Committee before the report to the Executive (or Individual member) could be published.  The Committee considered this change and requested that it be deferred.

The second recommended change was to amend part C2 8.2 to include the words ‘where appropriate’ such that if an item was inappropriate it did not need to be explicitly be set out on the agenda.  The examples given related to questions from local residents at planning committee and licensing sub-committee hearings where other provisions were already in place.  The Committee supported this change.

The Committee also requested that a third change be considered by Council, namely, to allow all Councillors who were not Members of a Committee to be available as substitutes for their own political groups, where they were not otherwise restricted from doing so.  It was noted that in recent years two changes had occurred to the operation of Members and Substitute Members.  Restrictions on cross committee memberships between Planning and Licensing Committee had been removed, and Group Leaders could now change the lists of Members and Substitute Members at any time by writing to the proper officer.  By allowing all Members to be considered as substitutes it would remove an element of risk and the need for designated substitutes to be changed.

The Committee noted the use of Monitoring Officer’s delegations and requested that it be a standing item on future agendas.

RESOLVED: That

1.  The changes proposed in paragraph 2.4 of the report, to part A2 7.6.2, be deferred and considered at the next meeting of the Committee;

2.  The changes proposed in paragraph 2.6 of the report, to part C2 8.2, be referred to full council to amend the constitution;

3.  That Council be recommended to agree that Part C2, p134, 2.5.1 be amended to ‘For each Committee any Member who is not a Member of that committee may act as a Substitute on that committee for a seat allocated to their political group.’; and

4.  The Monitoring Officer report, on the use of the Monitoring Officer delegation on amending the constitution, continue as a standing item for each meeting.