Issue - meetings

To consider a proposal to disband the Constitution Sub-Committee and establish a Constitution Working Group to replace the Sub-Committee with immediate effect.

The Sub-Constitution considered a report that sought a recommendation to the Standards Committee to disband the Constitution Sub-Committee and establish a Constitution Working Group.

It was identified that 5.1 within Appendix 1 needed to be amended to remove reference to the Sub-Committee and to be replaced with Working Group.

Concerns were raised by some Committee Members that the establishment of a Working Group would create a lack of transparency as the public would not be able to attend or listen to the meeting as best practice dictated that Working Groups did not need to be open to the public to attend or livestreamed and that minutes did not need to be compiled and published.

However, the Monitoring Officer advised that minutes would be produced and circulated to all members of the Working Group and the facility to enable the public to view the meeting through Teams would be explored though this could be restricted due to the technology available.

Members were advised that if a Working Group was established meetings could be remote or hybrid. The Sub-Committee agreed that the meeting to be held in December would be an in-person meeting as this would be the final meeting before the Constitution would be presented to the Standards Committee and then to onto Council to be adopted.

A vote was taken to disband the Constitution Sub-Committee and establish a Woking Group:

For – 4

Against – 3

A vote was taken to make a recommendation to the Standards Committee to recommend to Council that they approve the disbanding of the Constitution Sub-Committee and the establishment of a Working Group:

For – 4

Against – 3   

The Constitution Sub-Committee RESOLVED to recommend to the Standards Committee that:

Subject to the resolution of Council to disband the Constitution Sub-Committee, establish a Constitution Working Group with immediate effect, with the same membership, for the same purpose, with the same Chair and Vice Chair as the Constitution Sub-Committee, and with the Terms of Reference as in Appendix 1 of the report; and

Recommend to Council that they resolve to:

1.    Disband the established Constitution Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee and note that the Standards Committee will, with immediate effect, establish a Constitution Working Group wit the same membership and for the same purpose, with the Terms of Reference as in Appendix 1 to the report; and

2.    Delegate to the Monitoring Officer the authority to amend the Constitution to reflect any consequential changes arising from this decision.