Issue - meetings

Recommendations to Council Assembly on the Establishment of a Southwark Democracy Commission

 

 

Meeting: 15/06/2010 - Cabinet (Item 15)

15 Recommendations to Council Assembly on the Establishment of a Southwark Democracy Commission

To request that the cabinet establish a Democracy Commission to consider changes to the council’s constitution to make the council’s democratic functions more open and engaging.

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

This item had not been circulated 5 clear days in advance of the meeting. The chair agreed to accept the item as urgent because the 15 June cabinet meeting was the earliest opportunity to consider the report before council assembly on 14 July 2010 and for officers to consider cabinet comments in preparation of the report to council assembly. It was also important to give the commission as much time as possible to complete phase 1 this year.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That a democracy commission be established to consider changes to the council’s constitution to make the council’s democratic functions more open and engaging.

 

2.  That the democracy commission be focused and task-based to increase its ability to deliver recommendations for substantive change and so that it can be delivered within existing budgets.

 

3.  That the democracy commission’s first task should be to consider reforms to council assembly.

 

4.  That it be reported to council assembly that membership of the democracy commission in its initial phase of work will be a proportional body of elected councillors taking evidence from local residents and experts.

 

5.  That the proportionality be divided as follows:

 

·  4 Labour councillors

·  2 Liberal Democrat councillors

·  1 Conservative councillor

 

6.  That it be reported to council assembly that Councillor Abdul Mohamed be appointed as chair of the democracy commission with the first full meeting of the commission to consider and agree terms of reference within the scope set out in paragraphs 16-26 of the report.

 

7.  That it be recommended to council assembly that the first recommendations of the democracy commission, together with a review of the commission and recommendations for future phases of work be presented to the cabinet meeting of 19 October 2010 and then the council assembly on 20 October 2010 for agreement and implementation.