Agenda item
Update from Constitutional Working Party - Council Procedure Rules (Part 4.1 of the Constitution)
- Meeting of General Purposes Committee, Wednesday, 5th July, 2017 7.00 p.m. (Item 4.6)
- View the background to item 4.6
As the Council is operating Executive arrangements then it must have a Constitution and also ensure that this Constitution is kept up-to-date. At the meeting of the Constitution Working Party on 22 June 2017 consideration was given to amending the Council Procedure Rules to facilitate a more open and effective council meeting which in turn would encourage a higher standard of member conduct.
Minutes:
Paul Greeno, Senior Corporate and Governance Lawyer, introduced the report and explained the rationale for some of the changes to the Council Procedure Rules. Mr Greeno explained the DCLG Commissioners had specifically identified the Council’s Member-level engagement as an area for development. Since this time, the Constitution Working Party (CWP), which includes representation from all political groups, has reviewed the Council’s Procedure Rules in detail, in order to identify any changes which may increase the effectiveness of Council meetings.
The Committee welcomed the input of the CWP and also noted its emphasis on the importance of public engagement opportunities at Council meetings. However, some members of the Committee indicated concern that a disproportionate amount of time was allocated to public engagement, with the effect that insufficient time could be spent considering and debating reports for decision, which often dealt with critically important issues, potentially involving high levels of expenditure/savings. Members indicated they felt that Mayoral assemblies provided an accessible and appropriate forum for public questions, so these could be removed from Council meetings.
Asmat Hussain, Corporate Director, Governance, advised the Committee that it is good practice for Councillors to discuss reports where a decision is required by Council.
The Committee discussed a number of ways that the CWP’s proposed new order of business (as set out in Table 1 of the report submitted) could be amended so that the time available for Council meetings to consider reports for decision could be increased.
Further to paragraph 3.7 of the report, Rule 24.1, the Committee asked if solutions could be explored to address improper conduct from persons in the public gallery which, whilst not substantial enough disturb the meeting, might disturb or cause annoyance to Councillors, officers or other members of the public in their immediate vicinity.
RESOLVED:
That the General Purposes Committee:
1. Approved the proposed new order of business for ordinary Council meetings as set out in Table 1 of the report, subject to:
a. Public engagement – questions - deletion of this agenda item.
b. Public engagement – petitions:
i. Allowing up to 4 petitions; and
ii. Allowing 2 minutes for Lead Member comments (and thus reducing the total time for each petition to 5 minutes)
c. Mayor’s Report - re-ordering this item to immediately after Introductions, Minutes, Declarations, Announcements.
d. Administration Motion Debate - re-ordering this item to immediately before the Opposition Motion Debate.
e. Reports –
i. re-ordering this item to immediately following the Opposition Motion Debate; and
ii. increasing the allocated time as much as possible, taking into account the time freed up from changes above and the constraints of the overall meeting length as provided for elsewhere in the Council Procedure Rules.
2. Approved the specific proposed changes in paragraph 3.7 of the Report; and
3. Agreed that the Council Procedure Rules be re-drafted as indicated in 1 and 2 above so that a report proposing revised Council Procedure Rules may be prepared, for future submission to a meeting of the Council.
4. Agreed that the Constitution Working Party be informed of the Committee’s deliberations and decision, and thanked for its work and proposals to date.
Supporting documents: