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Agenda and minutes

Governance and Audit Committee - Monday, 21st November, 2011 6.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber Council Offices Market Street Newbury. View directions

Contact: Stephen Chard 

Items
No. Item

20.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 70 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 29th September 2011.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2011 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Andy Day reported that, in respect of the Amendments to the Scheme of Delegation:

1.      the amendments proposed at the Governance and Audit meeting on the 29 September 2011 had been included in the report considered by Full Council on the 25 October 2011;

2.      Moira Fraser, on behalf of David Holling, had incorporated a response to the queries raised at the meeting in the report considered by Council. A note to this effect was circulated to Members of the Committee via email on the 21 October 2011 and no additional requests for information had been received to date;

3.      the index had been updated  prior to consideration at Council.

 

21.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any Declarations of Interest from Members.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

22.

Amendments to Parts 7, 8 and 12 of the Council's Constitution (C2349) pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Purpose: To consider potential amendments to the Constitution

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 4) concerning amendments to Parts 7,8 and 12 of the Constitution. Andy Day reported that the sections of the report had been considered by the Finance and Governance Group and also included responses from professional Officers across the Council, including HR, Planning and Legal.

Paragraph

Amendment

Comment

7.1.7 (Personnel Committee)

Write HR in full

amended

7.2.2 (e) (Order of Business at Ordinary Meetings)

Delete (e) receive petitions from Members

amended and rest of paragraph renumbered

7.2.3 (Extraordinary Meetings)

Insert the word ‘or’ between Committee and Sub-Committee in the first paragraph

amended

7.2.3 (Extraordinary Meetings

Clarify that the twenty one days refers to calendar days

amended

7.2.4 (d) (Order of Business – Extraordinary Meetings)

Replace the word ‘to’ with the word ’for’

amended

7.3.5 (Quorum)

Reference should be to paragraph 7.3.5 and not 7.3.4

amended

7.3.7 (Continuation of Meeting)

Reference should be to 7.7.3 and not 7.6.2

amended

7.3.8 (Agendas)

Delete ‘subject to Rule (d) below

amended

7.3.9 (Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure of Reports)

Second paragraph replace words ‘the’ with ‘a’ in the first sentence

amended

7.3.10 (Referencing-Up)

Amend reference to 7.3.10 to 7.3.11

amended

7.3.11 (Exceptions)

Amend reference to 7.3.9 to 7.3.10

amended

7.5.1 (Definition of Urgent Items)

Use apostrophes around “urgent items”

amended

7.6 (Petitions)

Delete sections 7.6.1, 7.6.2,7.6.3 and 7.6.4

amended and paragraphs renumbered

7.9.1 (seconding)

Delete the second sentence

amended

7.10.2 (Suspension of Sitting)

Replace the word ‘they’ in the last sentence with the words ’the Chairman’

Amended

7.11.4 (Appointments to Outside Bodies)

Second sentence the word ‘note’ should be ‘not’

amended

7.13.5 (Suspension or Variation)

Second bullet point replace ‘he/she’ with ‘the Chairman’.

amended

 

Members noted the amendments to Part 8 of the Constitution (access by the Public to Information Rules of Procedure) and no further amendments were requested. Members requested that in respect to Part 12 (Personnel Rules of Procedure) HR be written in full i.e. Human Resources.

RESOLVED: that the proposed amendments to Parts 7, 8 and 12 of the Council’s constitution be referred to Council for adoption.