Agenda and draft minutes

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the minutes of the meeting held on 16 April 2007 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman subject to Mr Parry’s initials being correctly recorded as Mr R J Parry; and

(b)       the minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2007 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman subject to the deletion of (Chairman) after Mr P B Carter in the list of attendees.

– Report by the Head of Democratic Services)

(1)       In answer to the Committee’s comments on the poor presentation of the information in the table to the report the Clerk said the presentation would be improved for next year’s report.

(2)       RESOLVED that the annual return of Member Allowances including travel and fares for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 be noted.

– Report by Head of Democratic Services)

(1)       The Committee received a report setting out a suggested amendment to the County Council’s Constitution and the procedures and rules applying to County Council meetings which if approved by the County Council would assist the Clerk in dealing with long and detailed motions and amendments.  The County Council at its meeting on 17 May 2007 had referred this matter back to the Selection Committee for further consideration of the wording and possible amendment. 

(2)       In addition, the report set out the views and recommendations of the Informal Member Group: Going Local namely that:-

(a)       the idea of public question time at full Council meetings be not pursued;

(b)       the number of Council meetings held each year be increased by one;

(c)        no change be made to Council meetings start and finish times;

(d)       Members questions be subject to rigorous checking to ensure that they comply with the rules in the Constitution.  Those that do not comply should be rejected;

(e)       in order to enable more Members to have an opportunity to participate the rules for the time limited debate be modified so that:-

(i)         no speech (including that by the proposer and seconder) should exceed three minutes; and

(ii)        the proposer should have no right of reply.  Instead, the seconder should have the right to wind up the debate (this would be the seconder’s only opportunity to speak).

(3)       The Committee debated each of the recommendations separately before it resolved to make the following recommendations to the County Council for amendment to the procedure rules applicable to the County Council meetings as set out in the County Council’s Constitution:-

(a)       1.34 (i) of the Procedure Rules applying to County Council meetings should not be amended;

(b)       at this time the idea of a public question time at full Council meetings should not be pursued;

(c)        the number of Council meetings held each year be increased by one;

(d)       the Council finish time should be amended to 4:30 pm (Procedure Rule 1.12);

(e)       Members questions should be subject to rigorous checking to ensure that they comply with the rules in the Constitution (Rule 1.18).  Those that do not comply should be rejected; and

(f)         in order to enable more Members to have an opportunity to participate, the rules for Time Limited Debate (Rule 1.22) be amended to reflect:-

(i)         no speech (including that by the proposer and seconder) should exceed three minutes;

(ii)        the proposer should retain the right of reply; and

(iii)       debate on each motion should not exceed 45 minutes.

– Report by Head of Democratic Services)

(1)       The Caldecott Foundation is a charitable foundation which cares for children who have suffered extremes of neglect.  The patron is the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The Caldecott School based in Smeeth near Ashford is the educational part of provision of year round residential care for 5-16 year olds. 

(2)       The Board of Trustees had requested Kent County Council to appoint Sue Soan, a senior lecturer and gifted and talented lead academic at Canterbury Christchurch University as a local authority nominated governor.

(3)       In the absence of the Trust’s Deed it was not clear to the Committee whether it was for the County Council to make the appointment of a local authority Governor of its own choice.  The Committee asked the Clerk to seek further information from the Caldecott Foundation and to report back to the next meeting of the Committee when a decision could be taken.