Issue - meetings

Report number LEG15 by the Monitoring Officer.       (Enclosure)

DECISION: To approve the changes to the constitution of the Standards Committee as follows, to be effective as soon as the appropriate part of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 has been commenced:

(1)            that the Constitution be amended to provide for a minimum of 8 members of the Standards Committee in total with the addition of one District Councillor and one Parish Councillor;

(2)           that Council appoints cllr Andrew Moore as a member of the Standards Committee;

(3)           to  approve the appointment of one additional parish councillor to be selected as required by rota in accordance with the current selection process for parish councillors to sit on the Standards Committee to ensure that at any time 2 members of parish councils may sit on the Standards Committee; and

(4)           that amendments to the  Constitution  be approved as detailed in the appendix to report number LEG015 to effect all the above recommendations.

Members had before them report number LEG015 by the Legal Services Manager (Monitoring Officer) on the necessary changes to be made to the constitution of the Standards Committee consequent upon the enactment of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.  The Act would result in additional work for the Standards Committee although no extra resources would be provided by central government.

In respect of the appointment of an additional member of the District Council to the committee, it was noted that there was no requirement to apply the rules relating to political balance to this appointment.

Councillors Moore, Mrs Gaffigan, and Mike Williams were all proposed and seconded to take the additional place on the Standards Committee.  Members were asked to cast one vote for one of the three candidates.  Councillor Moore received the higher number of votes and was subsequently appointed.

[Councillors Sam Jalili, Mrs Jalili, and Brough left the meeting at 4.34pm.]