Issue - meetings

The Council is asked to consider changes to Council procedures, in the light of a report by the Governance Committee.

52.1     The Council considered changes to Council procedures in the light of a report from the Governance Committee (pages 31 to 42).

52.2     Resolved –

That the approval of the proposed changes to Part 4, Section 1 of the Constitution, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, beendorsed.

Report by the Director of Law and Assurance.

Following a request by the Chairman that Council procedures should be reviewed to make them more consistent and easier to understand and so improve council meetings, the Committee is asked to consider changes for recommendation to the County Council.

24.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Law and Assurance on proposals for changes to Council procedures which had been published (copies appended to the signed minutes). It was noted that some cross references needed to be updated.

24.2     Members were generally supportive of the changes, particularly taking question time earlier in the agenda and waiting until motions were due to be debated before circulating briefing notes.

24.3     A request was made for the limit on the number of motions taken at each meeting to be reconsidered. As the limit had only been agreed in July, the Chairman said six months should elapse before further consideration. He commented that he had asked for the changes as a whole to be reviewed after one year.

24.4     In relation to the limit on the size of written questions the Director of Law and Assurance reassured members that Democratic Services would continue to assist members with their formulation.

24.5     Cllr Lord requested that the time limit for speeches by members during petition debates should be kept at three minutes rather than being increased to five minutes as there is an overall total length of half an hour for questions during petition debates. She put forward an amendment, as shown in underlined bold italic text below, which was seconded by Cllr O’Kelly.

‘2.58  A member shall direct his or her speech to the question under discussion or to a personal explanation or to a question of order. Each member may speak for up to five minutes, with the exception of speeches in the annual budget debate, which are not timed and petition debates when members can speak for up to three minutes.’

24.6     The amendment was approved.

24.7     Resolved - That the proposed changes to Part 4, Section 1 of the Constitution, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report and the sheet of additional changes, subject to the amendment set out in minute 24.5 above and corrections to cross-references, be endorsed for submission to the County Council for approval.