Agenda and minutes

Mr P B Carter, Leader; Mr A J King, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Localism and Partnerships; Mr P Gilroy, Chief Executive; Ms T Oliver, Director of Strategic Development and Public Access and Mr M Banks, Barrister (Contracts and Procurement Team) will attend the meeting to answer Members’ questions on this item.

Mr P B Carter, Leader of the Council, Mr A J King MBE, Deputy Leader of the Council, Mr P Gilroy, Chief Executive, Mrs T Oliver, Director of Strategic Development and Public Access and Mr M Banks, Barrister were in attendance for this item to answer questions from Members of the Committee)

(Mr R F Manning Vice Chairman of the Committee presiding.)

(1)       Mr Chittenden declared a personal interest as he was a Member of the Board of Kent TV.

(2)       The Chairman expressed his embarrassment following the previous Cabinet Scrutiny meeting on 21 July.  He explained that as one of the joint Vice Chairmen of the Committee he should have warned the Chairman that the discussions developing around Kent TV were not appropriate particularly as Kent TV was not on the agenda.  

(3)       The Chairman explained that in early July Mrs Dean had expressed to him concern about the extension to the Kent TV contract and she had discussed her concerns with the Leader.  An informal briefing with the Chief Executive, the Director of Strategic Development and Public Access and the Barrister and the Members came to a conclusion that the Chief Executive acted within his delegated powers.  Mr Manning and Mrs Dean agreed that the notes of the informal briefing should be issued to the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee for information.  However, Mr Manning explained that he did not expect those notes to be debated, as they were an informal note although he raised no objection at the meeting. 

(4)       Mr Chittenden reminded Members that Mrs Dean was not present at the meeting and so there should be very limited discussion on her actions as she was not able to respond.  Mr Chittenden expressed his differing views to much of the correspondence over Kent TV but his understanding was that the 5 August meeting had been called to discuss the issues that were raised and debated at the last meeting.

(5)       In response Mr Manning stated there was one fundamental difference that today it was an agenda item to consider the process behind the extension to Kent TV – at the last meeting it was not. 

(6)       In response to a question about protocol from the Chairman Mr Wickenden confirmed that, Kent TV had not appeared on the agenda for the meeting on 21 July and the agenda for Cabinet Scrutiny Committee (CSC) meetings are agreed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen.  With hindsight advice should have been offered to Mrs Dean not to continue with the debate on 21 July because the item was not on the agenda and to deal with it at the meeting would require the item to be urgent business and a reason given for the urgency.  The other alternative would have been to have discussed with Members of the Committee, but not as part of the formal meeting, to discuss how the Committee would wish to proceed at a future meeting at which those Member and Officers before the Committee on 5 August would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.