Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendation of the Constitution Committee.

The Standards Committee, at its meeting on 19 July 2012 had considered the proposed adoption of additional terms of reference for the Audit and Governance Committee to enable responsibility for ethical standards and conduct issues to be transferred from the Standards Committee, in line with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. The proposed terms of reference were set out in the Appendix to the report to the Constitution Committee and included the establishment of three ad hoc panels and sub-committees to consider, at different stages, alleged breaches in the Member Code of Conduct. The membership of the bodies would be drawn from a pool of 15 Members, comprising the Members of the Audit and Governance Committee and five others.

The Constitution Committee had also recommended that Council agree that the Council Procedure Rules be amended to require a Member who declares a disclosable pecuniary interest in an item of business to withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate juncture.

Consideration was given to the recommendations from the Constitution Committee.

RESOLVED

1.      That the terms of reference set out in the Appendix to the report to the Constitution Committee be approved, the sub-committee and panels to operate under the procedures approved and adopted by Council.

2.      That the proposed pool of 15 Members be constituted on the basis of political proportionality and the political groups be invited to submit nominations to the five additional places as appropriate.  

3.      That the Council Procedure Rules be amended to require a Member who declares a disclosable pecuniary interest in an item of business to withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate juncture, the Borough Solicitor being authorised to make such changes to the Constitution as she considers appropriate to give effect to the wishes of Council.