Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services)

To enable the Executive Meeting to give consideration to the following issues identified by the Constitution Working Party in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules:

·           Public and Member Question Time

·           The ability to question other Council bodies

·           Motions of No Confidence

·           Social media

In addition, the Executive are invited to consider other issues raised by Members in relation to amendments and presentations.

The recommendations of the Constitution Working Party at its meeting held on 28 November 2012 are detailed in the report. These were endorsed by the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on 3 December 2012.

The Executive is invited to recommended that

·           That the Council Meeting be recommended to approve the amendments to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules detailed in paragraphs 2.5, 2.10, 6.6 and 7.3 of the report.

·           That the recommendations in paragraphs 3.4 and 4.7 of the report be approved.

Officer contact: Craig Ainsworth, 0161 474 3204, craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Governance & Corporate Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposals for amendments to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules.

The recommendations of the Constitution Working Party at its meeting held on 28 November 2012 were detailed in the report. These were endorsed by the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on 3 December 2012.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Council Meeting be recommended to approve the following amendments to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules:-

i)       the establishment of a separate procedure for public questions at area committees enabling questions to be submitted immediately prior to the commencement of the meeting;

ii)     in relation to Executive Question Time:-

·           any councillor be permitted to ask up to four questions of an executive councillor, this to include supplementary questions and questions requesting clarification to a previous answer given (the period for each question shall not exceed three minutes);

·           each question to be answered individually by the Executive Councillor;

·           following questions to each executive councillor, councillors to be permitted to make comments on executive business for up to three minutes;

·           the appropriate executive councillors (s) have a right of reply

iii)    any councillor to be permitted to ask up to four questions of the chairs of the scrutiny, ordinary, area and ward committees;

iv)    all amendments to be submitted in writing and a copy provided to the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer before they were debated;

v)     clarification provided in the Rules to make clear that any further amendments moved at the meeting cannot be such as to have substantially the same effect as an amendment previously moved at the same meeting and having already been dispensed with by the Council Meeting;

vi)    presentations, including questions at the Council Meeting to last no longer than 20 minutes.

(2) That the recommendations of the Constitution Working Party for a further review of the governance arrangements in relation to Council companies, associated organisations and outside bodies and the role of members on these bodies (paragraph 3.4 of the report) be endorsed.

(3) That the proposal to develop guidance on the use of Social Media at the Council Meeting and the recommendation of the Constitution Working Party not to include this within the Constitution be endorsed.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager

This report will be considered by the Constitution Working Party on 28 November 2012 in order consider issues previously identified by the Working Party in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules, namely Public and Member Question Time, the ability to question other Council bodies, Motions of No Confidence and Social Media. In addition, the Working Party will be invited to consider other issues raised in relation to amendments and presentations. The recommendations of the Working Party will be reported to the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider any changes to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules proposed by the Constitution Working Party.

Officer Contact: Craig Ainsworth on 0161 474 3204 or e mail: craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider issues previously identified by the Constitution Working Party in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules, namely Public and Member Question Time, the ability to question other Council bodies, Motions of No Confidence and social media. In addition, the Scrutiny Committee was invited to consider other issues raised by Members in relation to amendments and presentations.

The Constitution Working Party on 28 November had considered each of these issues and made recommendations (copies of which were circulated) which would also be considered by the Executive on 17 December and Council Meeting on 20 December 2012.

RESOLVED – That the recommendations of the Constitution Working Party be endorsed.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager

This report invites the Working Party to consider issues previously identified by the Working Party in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules, namely Public and Member Question Time, the ability to question other Council bodies, Motions of No Confidence and Social Media. In addition, the Working Party is invited to consider other issues raised by Members in relation to amendments and presentations.

The Working Party is invited to consider any proposed changes it wishes to recommend to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules.

Officer Contact: Craig Ainsworth on 0161 474 3204 or e mail: craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Working Party to consider issues previously identified by Members in relation to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules, namely Public and Member Question Time, the ability to question other Council bodies, Motions of No Confidence and social media. In addition, the Working Party was invited to consider other issues raised by Members in relation to amendments and presentations.

The Working Party considered each of these issues and made recommendations which would be considered by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee, Executive and Council Meeting.

In addition to the recommendations of the Working Party, the following issues were discussed by Members under the section ‘the ability to question other Council bodies’:-

•           Whether it was appropriate to hold the Council’s companies to account at Council Meetings by having a nominated Councillor to answer questions.

•           Whether there should be an enhanced role for the Audit Committee in holding the Council’s companies to account.

•           If the scrutiny committees considered performance reports from the Council’s companies more regularly, this would enable questions to be asked on the Minutes at the Council Meetings.

Whilst debating the Council Meeting Procedure Rules with regard to Presentations, Members considered whether there would be merit in groups or organisations making displays in the committee suite corridor prior to the Council Meeting or making presentations in the Council Chamber prior to the commencement of the meeting, say between 5.30pm and 5.50pm.

RESOLVED – That the recommendations of the Working Party be as follows:-

Public and Member Question Time

(a) Public Question Time

That the Council Meeting be recommended to amend the Council Meeting Procedure Rules so that a separate procedure is established for Area Committees enabling public questions to be submitted prior to the commencement of the meetings, but that the procedure for the Council Meeting, Executive, Executive Committees and Ordinary Committees remain the same.

(b) Executive Question Time

That the Council Meeting be recommended to amend the Council Meeting Procedure Rules as follows:-

•           Any Councillor to be permitted to ask up to 4 questions of an Executive Councillor, this to including supplementary questions and questions requesting clarification of the answer to a previous question (the period for each question shall not exceed 3 minutes).

•           Each question to be answered individually by the Executive Councillor.

•           Following questions to each Executive Councillor, Councillors to be permitted to make comments on Executive business for up to 3 minutes.

•           The appropriate Executive Councillor(s) to have a right of reply.

In addition, any Councillor to be permitted to ask up to 4 questions of the Chairs of the Scrutiny, Ordinary, Area and Ward Committees.

The ability to question other Council bodies

The Working Party recommended that:-

·         a governance review be carried out of each of the Council’s companies and a report submitted to the next meeting of the Working Party.

·         clarification be provided of the legal basis of the Council companies (Solutions SK, ISSK, Stockport Homes and NPS Stockport), and Stockport Sports Trust (Life Leisure), Pure Innovations and Borough Care.

·         a mapping exercise be carried out of the different type of outside bodies to which the Council appoints and clarification provided of the role of the Council appointees.

Motions of No Confidence

The Working Party recommended that there be no amendment to the Council Meeting Procedure Rules.

Social Media

The Working Party recommended that a protocol be drawn up requesting that Councillors do not ‘tweet’ whilst Council and Committee Meetings are in progress and that the contents of this protocol be agreed with the Group Leaders.

Amendments

That the Council Meeting be recommended to amend the Council Meeting Procedure Rules as follows:-

(a) (4 for, 2 against) all amendments to be submitted in writing and a copy provided to the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer before they are debated.

(b) clarification in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3