Issue - items at meetings - Update on the 6 month Review of the Constitution

Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached).

RESOLVED - That the proposed article and questionnaires as set out in appendices 1 to 4 of the report with the amendments suggested be approved.

48.1       The Committee considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance, which sought agreement to the proposed City News article and questionnaires on the constitution as part of the 6-month’s review of the constitution (for copy see minute book).

48.2       The Head of Law introduced the report and stated that it was intended to issue the questionnaires at the beginning of January and to then report back to the Committee.  He noted that Members would be able to respond and identify matters that could be addressed by either the 6-month or 12-month review.  He also noted that depending on the changes being proposed, approval would be sought from the Governance Committee, Full Council or the Leader/Cabinet.

48.3       Councillor West referred to the draft article in appendix 1 and suggested that it was too impersonal and should be looked at e.g. change ‘people’ to ‘you’.

48.4       Councillor Oxley referred to appendix 2(b) and suggested that a further question was required either before or after question 2. to cover whether a person had tried to influence the decision-making process.

48.5       Councillor Mears asked that any reference to the council should be in full rather than simply using initials and asked who would sign the letter that went the questionnaires.

48.6       The Head of Law stated that the letters would be signed by the Monitoring Officer.

48.7       Councillor Taylor queried how the review fitted in with the Audit Commission’s Good Governance Review and if the Groups had other points to raise not covered by the questionnaire how these would be taken forward.

48.8       The Head of Law stated that the Audit Commission was undertaking a wider review for the whole of the council as part of its annual review of good governance, and whilst there was a degree of overlap, the 6-month review of the constitution was a separate matter for the council itself.

48.9       The Director of Strategy & Governance stated that he would be willing to attend Group meetings to receive feedback on matters relating to the constitution and points that could be taken into account as part of the 12-month full review.

48.10    RESOLVED - That the proposed article and questionnaires as set out in appendices 1 to 4 of the report with the amendments suggested be approved.