Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Director of Governance.

The Director of Governance presented the report to the Committee which set out the preferred approach for member and public participation at meetings of the Cabinet and Committees of the Council. An amended recommendation providing more detail on the changes required as a result of the preferred approach was distributed to Members at the beginning of the meeting.

Having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Main Opposition Group after the Annual General Meeting of the Council in May 2015, a hybrid option was developed which would allow for Cabinet to receive the Notice of Forthcoming Key Decisions on its monthly agenda which would give it the opportunity to identify any future agenda items that would be the subject to pre-decision scrutiny. Members of the public would be able to speak to the item on the scrutiny agenda and Members would be able to ask questions at the scrutiny meeting if permitted to do so by the committee.

Councillors A S Pollitt and S J Jones believed the recommendation went against the spirit of the original Motion and that Option 4a would achieve a more democratic approach by allowing councillors the opportunity to participate at meetings of the Cabinet, to which members of the public were entitled to attend.

It was moved by Councillor A S Pollitt and duly seconded that Option 4a of Annex 1 of the report be recommended to Council.

On being put to the vote and with there being an equality of votes, the Chairman used his casting vote and the motion was LOST.

It was moved by Councillor D Hannent and duly seconded that the Governance Committee recommend to Council:

(a)   That Member and public participation be enhanced by the Executive including the Notice of Forthcoming Key Decisions on its monthly agenda and through this process identify future agenda items of public interest that would be subject to pre-scrutiny.

(b)   That Member and public participation be enhanced by including on the agenda of the appropriate Scrutiny Committee key decisions subject to pre-scrutiny, which would enable Members and the public to speak to the agenda item and Members, where permitted being able to ask questions at the scrutiny meeting.

(c)   That the Director of Governance develop and submit any necessary amendments to the text of the Constitution to a future meeting of the Governance Committee and the Council for approval.

RESOLVED:   That it be recommended to Council that:

(a)   That Member and public participation be enhanced by the Executive including the Notice of Forthcoming Key Decisions on its monthly agenda and through this process identify future agenda items of public interest that would be subject to pre-scrutiny.

(b)   That Member and public participation be enhanced by including on the agenda of the appropriate Scrutiny Committee key decisions subject to pre-scrutiny, which would enable Members and the public to speak to the agenda item and Members, where permitted being able to ask questions at the scrutiny meeting.

(c)   That the Director of Governance develop and submit any necessary amendments to the text of the Constitution to a future meeting of the Governance Committee and the Council for approval.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.5 Councillors A S Pollitt and S J Jones requested that their vote against the motion be recorded.