Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Helen Kalsi – work

Councillor Nayab Patel – leave

Councillor Maria Watson – personal (Councillor Kevin Clarke subsituting)

Nigel Cullen

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2024

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2024 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance

Jane Garrard, Head of Governance, presented the report detailing decisions taken under urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Article 11) and Access to Information Procedure Rules (Article 13) of the Council’s Constitution since September 2024.

Resolved to note that

(1)  one decision has been taken under urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Article 11) of the Constitution since the last report to the Committee in September 2024;

(2)  no decisions have been taken under the special urgency provisions within the Access to Information Procedure Rules (Article 13) of the Constitution since the last report to the Committee in September 2024.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance

Jane Garrard, Head of Governance, presented the report providing a summary of complaints made about Councillors since the last meeting, and highlighted that three complaints have been, or are in the process of being, formally investigated due to the nature of those complaints. None have been escalated beyond the local resolution stage of the procedure.

Resolved to note the monitoring information.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance

Jane Garrard, Head of Governance, presented the report proposing that the Committee establish an informal advisory panel to support delivery of an action within the Council’s Improvement Plan to maintain, enhance and embed the Constitution. The Panel will advise the Committee on proposed amendments to non-executive aspects of the Constitution, for recommendation to Council for approval, and highlighted the following points:

(a)  Article 12 Standing Orders and Committee Procedures allows a committee to establish an informal advisory panel, including setting its terms of reference and membership.

(b)  It is proposed that the Standards and Governance Committee establish a Constitution Advisory Panel to support delivery of an action within the Council’s Improvement Plan to maintain, enhance and embed the Constitution. The Committee is not able to delegate any of its functions to the Panel and its role will be to advise the Committee on proposed amendments to non-executive aspects of the Constitution, for recommendation to Council for approval. The membership of the Panel must be consistent with principles of good practice, and it is proposed that the membership is all members of the Standards and Governance Committee plus the Executive Member with responsibility for democratic services.

(c)  Officers will work with the Chair to develop a schedule for activity. Some proposed amendments may have implications for other areas of the Constitution and this impact will be taken into account as part of the review.

The Committee welcomed the proposals.

Resolved to establish a Constitution Advisory Panel, with Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.