Agenda and minutes

Venue: Guildhall, High Street, Exeter

Contact: Sarah Selway, Democratic Services Manager (Committees)  Telephone 01392 265275 or email  sarah.selway@exeter.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

5.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Branston, Donovan, Lyons and Prowse.

 

6.

To review the Exeter "Conventions"

To receive the recommendation of the minutes of Special Executive held on 3 June 2015 – to follow.

 

Minutes:

Minutes of Special Executive held 3 June 2015 were taken as read.

 

The Leader, seconded by Councillor Sutton, moved the recommendation.

 

The Leader of the Opposition commented that there had been an excellent debate at last night’s Executive and re-iterated his group’s opposition to the recommendation.

 

A Member stated that he had attended the interesting Executive meeting last night and listened to the opposition group speak with passion and insight. He fully supported the Leader and, in fact, it was his Group’s backbenchers that had asked the Leader if the Exeter Convention could be changed. He believed the proposal was the right way forward for the Council and that the ruling group could and would scrutinise the Executive effectively. He referred to the South West Charter Plus which highlighted the operation of scrutiny, acknowledging the contribution of all Members sitting on those committees. The Centre for Public Scrutiny’s view was that Scrutiny Councillors should not act in a party political manner. He believed that scrutiny worked best if Members of all political parties came together to provide a ‘critical friend’, the key roles being to evaluate, monitor, consider, advise and review. He felt, however, that the mechanism regarding call-in based around one third of scrutiny committee membership did need some further thought. 

 

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Special Executive held on 3 June 2015 (as below) be received and adopted:-

 

(1)          Delete (6) from The Exeter “Conventions”;

 

(2)          Amend Scrutiny Procedure Rules 6.1 to read – Chairs of scrutiny committees will be drawn fromamongst the councillors sitting on the committee;

 

(3)          Amend the Constitution accordingly; and

 

(4)          That the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support and the Democratic Services Manager (Committees) review the Council’s Constitution and Standing Orders to ensure it is fit for purpose. The results of the review to be reported to a Working Group made up of all political parties on the Council and to be implemented from Annual Council 2016.

 

In accordance with Standing Order 27(1), a named vote on the recommendation was called for, as follows:

 

Voting for:

 

Councillors Bialyk, Bowkett, Brimble, Bull, Buswell, Choules, Crew, Denham, Edwards, George, Hannaford, Hannan, Laws, Morris, Morse, Owen, Packham, Pearson, Raybould, The Deputy Lord Mayor, Sheldon, Spackman, Sutton, Vizard, Wardle and Williams.

 

 (26 Members)

 

Voting against:

 

Councillors Baldwin, Brock, Harvey, Henson, Holland, Leadbetter and Newby.

 

(7 Members)

 

Abstain:

 

The Lord Mayor.

 

(1 Members)

 

Absent:

 

Councillors Branston, Donovan, Lyons, Mottram, Prowse and Shiel.

 

(6 Members)

 

7.

To appoint Scrutiny Committee Chairs and Deputy Chairs

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the following be agreed:-

 

 

Scrutiny Committee – Community

 

Chair – Councillor Morse

 

Deputy Chair – Councillor George

 

 

Scrutiny Committee – Economy

 

Chair – Councillor Brimble

 

Deputy Chair – Councillor Lyons

 

 

Scrutiny Committee – Resources

 

Chair – Councillor Bull

 

Deputy Chair –Councillor Buswell