Issue - meetings

That the draft database of previous applications for dispensation be adopted.

The Democracy and Governance Manager introduced a report on the draft database of decisions on previous applications for dispensations.  He  commented that the availability of such a database should assist the Committee in making decisions consistent with those made in the past.  

The Democracy and Governance Manager advised that it was proposed to make the database available on the Council’s website and that the same part of the website would include the Members’ Code of Conduct and the list of grounds on which an applicant could apply for dispensation.  The database would include all the dispensations that had been considered by the Committee.  He asked members to consider the draft database which was attached to the report and express their views to inform further progress. 

Councillor H.J. McGuill referred to the information detailed on the back of the dispensation form to explain the circumstances when a Standards Committee may grant dispensations, and asked if this would be included on the website.  The Democracy and Governance Manager confirmed that it would. In response to a query from the Chair concerning the reasons why previous dispensations had been granted or refused the Head of Legal and Democratic Services suggested that a software link to the relevant minutes of the Standards Committee be set up to provide background information to the application. 

The Chair proposed that the draft database of previous applications for dispensation be adopted with the additional information requested by the Committee incorporated.  The proposal was seconded by Councillor D.L. Cox and became the resolution of the Committee.    

RESOLVED:

That the draft database of previous applications for dispensation be adopted.