Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 October 2019.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 14 October 2019 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and Officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest of interest were made.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer

The report sets out proposed options for the amendment of the Procedure Rules at Part 5 of the Constitution.

The Working Party is requested to consider the proposed options.

Officer Contact: Vicki Bates on 0161 474 32319 or email: vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out proposals for changes to certain Procedure Rules set out in Part 5 of the Constitution.

Councillors discussed the proposed amendments, in particular the suggested revisions to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules.

RESOLVED – (1) That the following changes to the Constitution be supported:-

(a)  PR1 – Council Meeting Procedure Rules

·         Rule 1 – Annual Council Meeting – revise 1.1 (vii) to read ‘the appointment of the Cabinet Leader (Leader of the Council) where necessary’

·         Rule 2 – Ordinary Meeting –

-       revise 2.1 to place current (g)(i) ‘to consider any other business specified in the summons to the meeting’ after (c) and to reword as appropriate to refer to exercising other functions reserved to the Council Meeting

-       include provision to allow the order of business on the summons to be varied by the Proper Officer in consultation with the Mayor

·         Rule 10 – Questions by the Public – revise 10.2 ‘Notice of questions’ to require questions to be submitted no later than 3 hours prior to the commencement of the meeting (this being 3pm for a meeting commencing at 6pm)

·         Rule 11 – Questions by Councillors –

revise 11.1(a)

-       reduce from 3 minutes to 2 minutes the time permitted for a question to be put;

-       no comment to exceed 3 minutes;

-       include a limit of 5 minutes for responses to both questions and comments;

revise 11.1 (b), (c) and (d) to include the time limits set out above in relation to 11.1(a)

(b)  PR2 – Policy Framework and Budget Procedure Rules

Amend references to ‘Executive’ to ‘Cabinet’

(c)  PR3 – Cabinet Procedure Rules

Correct various typographical errors

(d)  PR4 – Scrutiny Procedure Rules

·         Rule 5 – Frequency and Calling of Meeting of Scrutiny Committees -

amend reference to the number of meetings to reflect proposals for changes to the annual programme of meetings

·         Rule 10.3 (b) – amend references to ‘Executive’ to ‘Cabinet’

·         Rule 11.1, 11.6, 11.18 - Correct various typographical and grammatical errors

(e)  PR7 – Access to Information Procedure Rules

·         Correct various typographical and grammatical errors

·         Rule 15 - General Exception – amend rule 15 (d) to correct references to 9(b) and (c) to 15(b) and (c)

(f) CP5 – Procedure for Question Time at Cabinet and Committee Meetings amend point 6 to read:-

“Questions should be submitted at least 3 hours prior to the commencement of a meetings of the Cabinet (or Cabinet Committee), or 30 minutes prior to the commencement of a meeting of an ordinary committee. This provision does not apply to area and ward committee where questions may be submitted up to the start of the meeting”

(2) That the Monitoring Officer be requested to make arrangements for a further meeting of the Working Party on Thursday, 9 January 2020 at 5pm.