Agenda item

Please note the Appendix for this item is TO FOLLOW

The Standards Committee considered a report which set out areas for review within the Council’s Constitution for consideration by the Standards Committee prior to submission as part of the review of the Constitution to Council for adoption.

The Committee was asked to give consideration to the following proposals outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.

(a)            Questions by Members

The Committee was asked to consider a change to the Constitution which would provide provision for Members to withdraw a question which had been submitted, accepted and published, up to 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

Committee had a discussion over the proposed time limit and decided that it would be more appropriate to allow Members to withdraw a question at any point up to the morning of the same day on which the meeting was due to take place. This would all for greater flexibility prior to the meeting.

RESOLVED

(1)        That the deadline for submitted, accepted and published questions to withdrawn would be on the morning of the same day that the meeting is due to take place.

(2)    That the proposal be approved and submitted to Council.

(b)            Debt Write Off

The Committee was asked to consider a change to the Constitution that would increase the limit of bad debts that could be written off from £3,500 to £7,500.

Members heard that the proposal had not been through the Audit Committee but that the Section 151 Officer had been consulted.

There was a consensus that the limit should be increased to £5,000 rather than the proposed £7,500.

RESOLVED –

(1)    That the limit of bad debts able to be written off be increased from £3,500 to £5,000.

(2)    That the proposal be approved and submitted to Council.

(c)            Delegation Scheme Amendments

The Committee was asked to consider a change to the Constitution that would add some missing statutory matters into the Proper Officer Provisions within the Scheme of Delegation.

Members heard that the statutory matters related to provisions required for the notification and control powers from transmissible diseases which are given to Proper Officers within the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984 and Public Health (infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988.

The Proper Officers would use these powers and act upon Government instruction.

RESOLVED – That the proposal be approved and submitted to Council.

(d)            New JSCC TORs

The Committee was asked to consider the Terms of Reference for the proposed JSCC which would replace the JCG.

“Sides” were no longer mentioned in order to create a committee of persons working together to decide on and resolve issues. The proposed Committee would also include non-Union staff for representation to reflect the views of the workforce as a whole.

Formalising these meetings would also allow for decision makers to have a rounded context of matters before them through accurate reports published within legal deadlines.

The JCG had previously been consulted and had no major concerns with the proposed arrangements. Some concerns were raised by Unison which would be considered and reported through Council if required.

RESOLVED – That the proposal be approved and submitted to Council.

Committee welcomed and introduced the recently appointed Independent Person; David Richardson.