Agenda item

The Committee was informed that The Scheme of Delegation of Functions to Officers had been in existence for a number of years during which time it had been added to and amended in an ad hoc manner and, despite many revisions, had never been subject to a complete overhaul.  In addition, as the scheme was very detailed and specific, it required constant revision in order for it to remain up to date and there were inevitably gaps in provision.

The Governance Working Group had been tasked by the Council to review the Scheme. The Licensing Committee was being consulted in relation to its area of responsibility and its functions under its Terms of Reference.

The Committee considered the licensing functions in the revised scheme.

Members discussed an existing delegation, which had been retained, which provided for officers to approve increases to the hackney carriage fare scale and amendments to the scale of charges for hackney carriage and private hire licence fees, after consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Licensing Committee. The Committee recalled having considered this matter in previous years and felt that it was more appropriate for authority for this function to revert to the Committee; it was therefore agreed to recommend that this delegation be removed.

RESOLVED to advise the Governance Working Group that the amended Scheme of Delegation of Functions to Officers in respect of the Licensing Functions, as set out at Annex A to these minutes, be recommended to Council.