Agenda item

Report:  See pages 26-86 of the main agenda

In accordance with council assembly procedure rule 2.10(2) the Mayor formally moved the recommendations contained within the report.

Following debate (Councillors Toby Eckersley, Paul Noblet, Lisa Rajan, Peter John, Anood Al-Samerai, Abdul Mohamed, Nick Dolezal, Lewis Robinson, Jonathan Mitchell, John Friary, Columba Blango, Mark Glover, Adele Morris and Richard Livingstone), the recommendations were put to the vote and declared to be carried.

The Mayor advised that having established the council assembly business panel, each political group was invited to nominate a representative to the panel.  The following nominations were taken from the floor:

• Labour Group – Councillor Nick Dolezal
• Liberal Democrat Group – Councillor Catherine Bowman
• Conservative Group – Councillor Michael Mitchell.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the constitutional changes recommended by the constitutional steering panel arising from council assembly’s recommendations of 20 October 2010 in relation to the report of the Democracy Commission be adopted:

1)  That a council assembly business panel be established to improve how agendas are planned.

2)  That the changes to Part 3O: Panels of the constitution be agreed, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

3)  That the proposed changes to council assembly procedure rules as set out in Appendix 3 of the report, including the specific issues described in paragraphs 22 to 30 of the report (and as outlined below), be agreed:

Broadcasting and recording (CAPR 1.7)

1.  That the rule on audio recording be relaxed and that the change be reviewed in the future, if necessary.

2.  That the legal briefing (see Appendix 4 of the report), together with the experiences of other local authorities form the basis on which to develop a protocol on the issues involved.

Interjections - Rules of Debate (CAPR 1.12 (27 & 28))

3.  That due to the issues raised by this change, officers be requested to take another look at this subject before it is reconsidered by the constitutional steering panel.

Informal session - Order of business at ordinary council assembly meetings (CAPR 2.2)

4.That a short addition on the informal session be included in the rule on the order of business of ordinary meetings.  The rule should state that it would not be obligatory for members to attend.

Public question time and deputations (CAPR’s 2.5 and 2.6)

5.That the deadline for receipt of public questions and deputations be reduced to three clear working days.

Deputations speaking rights(CAPR 2.6 (14))

6.That the current time limit of 5 minutes be maintained.

Members’ Questions (CAPR’s 2.7 and 2.8)

7.That an additional supplemental question for the leader of the opposition be applied to urgent questions only.

8.That the order of members’ questions be varied so that the questions on behalf of each community council be taken after the leader followed by cabinet members and then others. 

Deadlines

9.That for a daytime or Saturday meeting the deadlines for amendments, questions on reports and urgent questions be brought forward by one clear working day. 

10.  That the operation of this rule be something that is kept under review.

2.  That the constitutional changes recommended by the constitutional steering panel to amend the role and function of the standards committee set out below, be adopted:

‘To provide strategic oversight on the use of the powers regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and to receive reports on operational use at least once a quarter’.

3.  That officers be authorised to undertake any consequential and cross referencing changes arising from recommendations 1 and 2.

4.  That the nominations of Councillors Nick Dolezal, Catherine Bowman and Michael Mitchell to the council assembly business panel be noted.