Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Room C1,1st Floor, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: Antonella Burgio, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4881, E-mail: antonella.burgio@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mohammed Abdul Mukit, for whom Councillor Khales Uddin Ahmed deputised; Councillor Md. Maium Miah; and Councillor Gloria Thienel for whom Councillor Craig Aston deputised.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PDF 49 KB To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.
Minutes: No declarations of interest were made.
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UNRESTRICTED MINUTES PDF 84 KB To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 13th October 2011. Minutes: RESOLVED
That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting held on 13th October 2011 were confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
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The Chair Moved and it was RESOLVED that the Order of Business be varied so that Item 6.1 School Governor Appointments be considered first to avoid detaining Mr Bhutta, Headteacher of Stepney Green School, any longer than necessary.
For ease of reference items will appear as they appeared in the agenda.
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UNRESTRICTED REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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Polling District and Polling Place Review 2011 PDF 60 KB To consider the representations on the review of polling districts and polling places and the steps which must be taken to complete this process. Additional documents:
Minutes: Ms Louise Stamp, Electoral Services Manager, presented the report which set out representations on the review of polling districts and polling places. Ms Stamp also tabled maps of Robin Hood Gardens Community Hall and the Student Union Offices, Blomeley Centre, Queen Mary University of London; and an updated Appendix C with a full list of polling places and electorate figures. The Committee was advised that Queen Mary had been added to capture the student votes, of which there were approximately 2,000. A registration day would be held in March and other Universities would also be considered as stations for the next scheduled Council elections in 2014.
Members thanked officers for the work which had been carried out in the review and stressed the importance of retaining access. It was also suggested that the Council clarify that the Tower Hamlets Inclusion Centre could be renamed Harpley School as it was felt that residents could be confused.
Concern was raised that voters in Blackwall and Cubitt Town were hindered by having to cross Aspen Way, particularly at night and officers were asked whether any consideration had been given to having another Polling Station in Mulberry Place. In response to Members, Ms Stamp advised that available room was a consideration; and it was also felt that having more than one district in one building could cause confusion. It was proposed that a new station south of Aspen Way be looked at for the GLA elections and the Chair asked officers to liaise with Ward Councillors.
RESOLVED
a) That the polling districts remain unchanged due to an Electoral Review taking place in February 2012, conducted by the Local Government Boundary Commission;
b) That the draft polling place changes and reasons set out in paragraph 6 and Appendix A of the report be publicly consulted on, subject to consultation with Ward Councillors in Blackwall and Cubitt Town, with a view to implementation in time for the Greater London Authority elections to be held on 3 May 2012.
c) That a further report on the outcome of the consultation be submitted to the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee.
d) That the Council continues to make every effort to find suitable alternative polling places for those polling places where there is uncertainty about their availability for future elections and enhance the convenience, suitability and practical electoral arrangements for electors.
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Proposed Changes to the Constitution PDF 73 KB Report to follow.
Minutes: Special Circumstances and Reasons for Urgency
The Chair agreed the special circumstances and reasons for urgency, as set out on the front page of the report, and also set out below:
“The report was not circulated with the Committee agenda as it was not possible to compile the information required before that time. The report is nevertheless recommended for consideration at this meeting as it is necessary for the proposed amendments to the Constitution to be submitted to the next ordinary meeting of the Council (25th January 2012) in order to take effect before the Budget Council meeting.”
Mr John Williams, Service Head Democratic Services, presented the report explaining that the Council had given responsibility for considering changes to the Constitution to the General Purposes Committee and that there were a number of urgent changes recommended which would impact on the Budget Council meeting in February. The report also included a number of changes pursuant to decisions taken on constitutional matters at the November 2011 Council meeting.
Members considered the report and sought clarification on the provisions of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 relating to the majority vote required for amending the Mayor’s proposals in respect of the Budget and Policy Framework. Clarification was also sought in respect of the legal definition of “Executive”; the deadline for amendments to the Budget Council meeting and the time required by officers to circulate comments on those amendments; arrangements for considering amendments without notice; and the type of recording which would take place at Council meetings.
The Committee moved a number of amendments and additions to the recommendations set out in the report as follows. The Chair also requested that the report to the Council meeting on 25th January 2012; and any officer comments on the proposed changes to the Constitution be circulated in advance to all Members present at the meeting of the General Purposes Committee.
RESOLVED
That the Council be recommended:-
a) To amend the Budget Council Procedure Rules at paragraph 4.2 of Part 4.1 of the Constitution as proposed at section 4 of the report, and amended as follows:
Deadline for amendment
i. That the deadline for amendments be 9.15am on the day before the meeting and that the amendments should be circulated to the Mayor and all Councillors, with any officer comments that are available at least 24 hours before the meeting.
Timing of amendments/extension of meeting
ii. Other than amendments notified in advance as above, no further substantial amendment may normally be moved at the budget meeting, but the Council may, having heard the advice of the Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer and Head of Paid Service, agree that an amendment without notice can be debated.
b) To amend the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules at Part 4.3 of the Constitution as proposed at section 5 of this report, and amended as follows;
i. The Mayor as the Executive has responsibility for preparing the draft plan or strategy for submission ... view the full minutes text for item 4.2 |
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EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC In view of the contents of the following item on the agenda, the Committee is recommended to adopt the following motion:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.”
EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL SECTION (Pink Papers)
The exempt committee papers in the agenda will contain information, which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. If you do not wish to retain these papers after the meeting, please hand them to the Committee Officer present.
Minutes: In view of the nature of agenda item 6.1, the Committee RESOLVED:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, 1985, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A paragraph 3 to the Local Government, Act 1972”.
[Note: Exempt information is defined in section 100I and, by reference, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the 1972 Act”). To be exempt, information must fall within one of the categories listed in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Schedule 12A, must not fall within one of the excluded categories in paragraphs 8 and 9 and the public interest in maintaining the exemption must outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information.
Agenda item 6.1 “School Governor Appointment to Stepney Green School” contained information relating to paragraph 3 (Information relating to any individual). Appendices 4 to 6 contained applications made by individuals for appointment as authority governors to the governing body of Stepney Green School.
The Committee considered the above information and the public interest favouring public access to local authority meetings, and in this case the Committee concluded that given the information contained in Agenda item 6.1 “School Governor Appointment to Stepney Green School”, the public interest in maintaining the exemption on the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it.]
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EXEMPT REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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School Governor Appointment To consider an application for appointment as a local authority school governor to a community school detailed in the report.
Minutes: Recommendations agreed.
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