To note that new regulations by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (namely The Local Authorities (Standing Orders (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014) will come into effect on 25^th February 2014.

The effect of the regulations is that a recorded vote shall be held on the substantive motion at any Budget Council Meeting and this will apply during the budget debate at agenda item 6 below.  The report of the Service Head, Democratic Services is attached.

The Council considered the report of the Service Head, Democratic Services on changes to the regulations regarding voting at Budget Council meetings and consequent amendments made by the Monitoring Officer to Council Procedure Rule 17.

Councillor Peter Golds moved, and Councillor Tim Archer seconded an amendment to expand the requirement to record votes to include those on amendments as well as the substantive motion.

The amendment was put to the vote and was agreed.

RESOLVED

This Council Notes:-

• The action taken by the Monitoring Officer to amend Council Procedure Rule 17 in response to the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulation 2014.
• That the amendment to Procedure Rule 17 falls short of the Government’s intentions in making the regulations, as set out in a letter from Brandon Lewis MP to all Councils in England on 4^th February 2014. Specifically, Ministers intend for a recorded vote to be taken on any amendments voted on by councillors
• That the Statutory Instrument states “immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting of an authority there must be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting the names of the persons who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting.”
• That the Explanatory Notes to the Statutory Instrument states “Regulation 2 provides that the votes (plural) at key budget decision meetings by local authority are recorded.”
• That in this context “any vote” includes votes on amendments at such a meeting; and that the use of the plural “votes” further indicates that the regulations are intended to cover votes on amendments. That a short piece of research of a number of authorities this afternoon has established that:
  1. Conservative-run Swindon Borough Council accordingly held a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
  2. Labour/Lib Dem-run Norfolk County Council accordingly held a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
  3. Conservative-run Suffolk County Council accordingly held a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
  4. Labour/Lib Dem-run Cumbria County Council accordingly held a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
  5. And that Labour-run Nottingham City Council accordingly will hold a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
  6. That many other councils held, or will hold, a recorded vote on amendments at their budget meeting
• That the European Parliament has today decided to take a recorded vote for every future decision, by 617 votes to 23

This Council Believes:

• That local people should be able to see how their councillors vote, not only on the substantive budget motions agreeing the budget or setting council taxes, but also on any amendments proposed at the meeting.

This Council Resolves:

• To amend the new Council Procedure Rule 17.5 to read as follows:- “In relation to any debate at a Budget Council Meeting on the authority’s budget and level of the Council Tax to be levied for each financial year, a recorded vote shall take place on any amendment that is put to the vote during that debate and on the substantive motion.  Such votes to be undertaken in accordance with Procedure Rule 17.4.”