Issue - items at meetings - Review of the Constitution - March 2015

Report of the Head of Legal & Democratic Services (copy attached).

1)        Recommends to full Council the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution as set out in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.6 and Appendix 1 relating to Overview & Scrutiny arrangements and policy panels;

2)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.7 and Appendix 2 to the report relating to establishing a Member Procurement Advisory Board;

3)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.8 – 3.9 of the report relating to exploring remote attendance at meetings in specified circumstances;

4)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.10 of the report relating to the use of electronic agendas;

5)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.11-3.13 of the report relating to changes to the scheme of delegations to officers and committees.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND - That Council:

6)            Approves and adopts the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution recommended in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.6 and Appendix 1 of the report, relating to Overview & Scrutiny Arrangements and policy panels;

7)            Authorises the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the changes agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee and Council and that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend and re-publish the Council’s constitutional documents to incorporate the changes.

167.1    The Committee considered a report of the Head of Legal & Democratic Services in relation to a Review of the Council Constitution 2015. The report proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution for approval by P&R and Council. The issues set out in the report had been reviewed by the cross-party Constitutional Working Group and included proposed changes to overview and scrutiny; establishing an advisory member procurement board; better use of technology for Council meetings and modifications to the delegations to Officers and Committees.

167.2    The Chair highlighted that introducing to electronic agendas was very much within scope, and some Members already used their own tablet devices to do this. He stated that policy panels would continue and could be commissioned by the Policy Committees, and the change of reporting for the Corporate Parenting Board made more logical sense given the remit of the Health & Wellbeing Board.

167.3    In response to a query from Councillor Peltzer Dunn the Head of Law explained that Members sitting on the Procurement Board would be trained in this area, but it was not envisaged the training would be any more onerous than training for Members on regulatory committees such as Planning and Licensing.

167.4    In response to a query from Councillor Randall the Head of Law explained that Tenant Scrutiny would be retained, and this would continue to be independent of the Housing Service.

167.5    The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

167.6    RESOLVED - That the Committee:

1)        Recommends to full Council the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution as set out in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.6 and Appendix 1 relating to Overview & Scrutiny arrangements and policy panels;

2)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.7 and Appendix 2 to the report relating to establishing a Member Procurement Advisory Board;

3)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.8 – 3.9 of the report relating to exploring remote attendance at meetings in specified circumstances;

4)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.10 of the report relating to the use of electronic agendas;

5)        Approves the proposals set out at paragraph 3.11-3.13 of the report relating to changes to the scheme of delegations to officers and committees.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND - That Council:

6)            Approves and adopts the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution recommended in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.6 and Appendix 1 of the report, relating to Overview & Scrutiny Arrangements and policy panels;

7)            Authorises the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the changes agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee and Council and that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend and re-publish the Council’s constitutional documents to incorporate the changes.