Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Legal & Democratic Services (attached).

The Council received a report from the Governance Working Group. The report detailed a number of proposed changes to committee procedural rules including the quorum of meetings and amending the substitution procedure rules to allow for other members of the group to substitute for a committee member where the nominated substitutes were not available. The membership of Appointments Sub Committees had been altered to allow for participation by opposition group leaders who were not members of the Employment Committee.

Members were informed that it was proposed to rename the Audit and Standards Committee as the Audit, Standards and Risk Committee, to ensure that more emphasis on risk management functions. The Committee’s Terms of Reference would be updated to reflect this emphasis, along with gaining clear responsibility for the Council’s treasury management functions.

It was proposed to introduce Public Questions at all of the Standing Committees of the Council, expect for the Planning Applications Committee, which already had a public speaking scheme in operation, and the Employment Committee, which was focused on internal matters. Public Question Time broadly reflected the current process for questions at Council meetings, although questions would need to relate to matters included on the relevant agenda.

The Working Group had proposed amendments to the Council’s petitions scheme by reducing the threshold for considering petitions and allowing petitions submitted through third party sites to be considered under the scheme. It was also proposed to align the petitions scheme with the Residents Panel process agreed by the Executive earlier that month.

The Protocol for the appointment and role of Honorary Freemen and Honorary Aldermenhad also been updated to reflect gender neutral terminology, as far a current legislation permitted.

RESOLVED that

(i)        Article 9 of the Constitution be updated, as set out at Annex A to the agendareport;

(ii)      the Terms of Reference of the Executive, Committees and Other Bodies at Part 3, Section E of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex B to the agendareport;

(iii)     the Executive Procedure Rules at Part 4, Section B of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex C to the agendareport;

(iv)     the Committees, Sub Committees and Other Bodies Procedure Rules at Part 4, Section D of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex D to the agendareport;

(v)      the Substitution Procedure Rules at Part 4, Section K of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex E to the agendareport;

(vi)     the Public Speaking Procedure Rules at Part 4, Section E of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex F to the agendareport;

(vii)    the Petitions Scheme at Part 4, Section L of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex G to the agenda report; and

(viii)  the Protocol for the appointment and role of Honorary Freemen and Honorary Aldermen at Part L of the Documents which support the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex H to the agenda report.