Decision details

The Leader moved the recommendations, seconded by Councillor Wright.

The Monitoring Officer presented the report, making the following points:

• Members would be aware of the background to this report, including the reduction of committee sizes and the introduction of substitutes;
• Group Leaders had provided the names of those sitting on committees and those who would become substitutes; and
• appropriate training would be required to be undertaken before any substitutes were able to sit on a committee.

Councillor M Mitchell asked for clarification that the onus would be on Members to contact their substitute, and that this would not sit with Democratic Services. The Monitoring Officer advised that this was correct and would be communicated to Members.

During debate Councillor Wright thanked the officers for the work that had gone into the constitutional changes, the cross-party group that had given input, and the Group Leaders she had spoken with. She felt that in order to maintain smaller committee sizes and personal commitments it was important to add substitutes. Councillor Wright felt that this would be used as a tool to aide democracy.

In summing up, the Leader advised that a number of other authorities had substitutes and that it would be a learning process.

Following a vote, the recommendations were CARRIED.