Meeting documents

Constitution Committee
Thursday, 9th June, 2005

Committee Name:Constitution Committee
Meeting Date:09/06/2005
Minutes:
CONSTITUTION WORKING PARTY 9TH JUNE, 2005 Minutes of the meeting of the Constitution Working Party of the Flintshire County Council held at County Hall, Mold on Thursday, 9th June, 2005. PRESENT: Councillors D. Barratt, J.G. Beard, D.M.D. Clayton, D. Darlington, G.D. Diskin, J.J. Griffiths, R.J.T. Guest, P.G. Heesom, M. Higham, N.R. Steele-Mortimer and P.J. Walkden. SUBSTITUTES: Councillors E.F. Evans for L.A. Aldridge, J. Ovens for D.L. Cox, J.B. Attridge for R.P. MacFarlane, C. Bithell for A. Woolley. IN ATTENDANCE: Monitoring Officer and Principal Administration Officer.


1. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN RESOLVED: That Councillor R.J.T. Guest be appointed Chairman of the Working Party for the 2005/06 Municipal Year.


2. APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN RESOLVED: That Councillor J.J. Griffiths be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Working Party for the 2005/06 Municipal Year.


3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST None were received.


4. MINUTES Subject to the inclusion of Councillor A. Woolley in the list of those Members giving apologies the minutes of the meeting held on 24th February 2005 were approved as a correct record. Matters Arising from the Minutes Minute No. 22 – Access to Building Sub Group Members commented that they were still having difficulty with the swipe cards to gain access to certain parts of the buildings. The Monitoring Officer agreed to investigate this matter. With regard to the issue of photocopying in the Members and Service area the Monitoring Officer understood that this matter had been addressed but would check the current situation. With regard to (d) of the minutes Councillor Steel-Mortimer indicated that Members of his Group would not sign the declaration because of the wording that had been used. The Monitoring Officer suggested that the wording would be amended to reflect the words contained in the minutes. The Working Party accepted the Monitoring Officer’s assurances that he would examine the issues now raised.


5. FORMAT OF MINUTES OF COUNTY COUNCIL OF OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEES ETC. The Working Party considered the report of the Monitoring Officer the purpose of which was to set up a Task and Finish Group in accordance with an agreement arrived at by Group Leaders. The report detailed the background to its preparation and the Working Party was asked to consider the composition and terms and reference of the Task and Finish Group. Councillor Darlington suggested that the Working Group consist of seven Members which would not need to be politically balanced with four Members coming from the ruling Labour Group and one from each of the remaining Groups. The Working Party felt this was a good suggestion. RESOLVED: That a Task and Finish Group, consisting of seven Members, to discuss the format of minutes be established, with the Group Leaders advising the Monitoring Officer of their respective representatives.


6. LICENCING COMMITTEE Arising from the discussion in minute number 5, the Monitoring Officer reported that the role of the Task and Finish Group would not include the Licensing Committee or its Sub-Committee. He advised that they had jurisdiction on how to operate and were allowed to determine their own minute format. However the County Secretary had discussed the issue with the Chairman of Licensing Committee who had asked, that out of courtesy to the Working Party, they be made aware of the operating arrangements. Licensing Sub-Committee had authority to deal with contested applications and in this respect it was necessary in case of an appeal, for the minutes of that Sub-Committee to be approved as quickly as possible. It was intended for the minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee to be forwarded to the three Members of the Sub-Committee within forty eight hours of the meeting with a request that they return them appropriately signed if they agreed they were a correct record of the business. If however any Member of the Sub-Committee was not satisfied that they were a correct record it would be necessary for the Sub-Committee consisting of the three Members to be reconvened to determine what was a correct record. RESOLVED: That the position be noted.


7. REVIEW OF THE MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT The Committee considered the report of the Monitoring Officer the purpose of which was to enable the Constitution Working Party to make recommendations for the Council’s Standards Committee on the consultation document produced by the Review Group on “Review of the Operation of the Local Government Code of Conduct in Wales”. The report detailed the background to its preparation and the issues which it was necessary to consider. The Working felt that it would be appropriate to establish a Task Group on similar lines to that referred to in minute number 5 above, of seven Members again not being politically balanced with four Members of the Labour Group and one each from the remaining Groups. RESOLVED: That a Task Group be established accordingly and that the Group Leaders advise the Monitoring Officer of their representatives. ………………………….. Chairman SUMMARY OF DECLARATIONS MADE BY MEMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLINTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S CODE OF CONDUCT CONSTITUTION WORKING PARTYDATE: 9TH JUNE, 2005 MEMBERITEMMIN. NO. REFERS NO DECLARATIONS WERE MADE - 119 -