Venue: Council Chamber - 4th Floor - Civic CentreH
Contact: Donna Cope 01902 554452 or Email: donna.cope@wolverhampton.gov.uk
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Apologies for absence Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Jaswinder Kaur and Laura Noonan.
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Declarations of interest Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest.
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 105 KB [To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 October 2022 as a correct record]. Additional documents: Minutes: That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 October 2022 be approved as a correct record.
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Matters arising [To discuss any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting].
Additional documents: Minutes: There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.
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Changes to the Constitution - Rules of Debate PDF 100 KB [Report to follow] Additional documents: Minutes: David Pattison, Chief Operating Officer, presented the report: Changes to the Constitution - Rules of Debate. The report detailed the proposed amendments to the constitution to ensure continuing lawfulness and effectiveness.
The Chief Operating Officer provided an overview of the proposed changes and explained the rationale for these changes as detailed in section three of the report.
The report was debated by Committee, and it was agreed that the following amendments should be made:
1. Leader’s report – right of reply - That there be an amendment to introduce a 2-minute right of reply from the Leader; that the Leader’s report be reduced from 10 minutes to 8 minutes; that the opposition response remains at 5 minutes, thus ensuring the whole item remains at 15 minutes.
2. Extensions of time of the meeting – That the meeting be extended by a fixed time with no further extension under rule 8.1.
3. Voting – That unless the constitution provides otherwise, any matter will be decided by a simple majority of those Councillors voting and present at the time the question was put – for the avoidance of doubt in the event that a named vote is called (or required) only those Councillors present at the start of the named vote will be entitled to vote.
Resolved:
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Appointing an Independent Member PDF 72 KB [Report to follow] Additional documents: Minutes: David Pattison, Chief Operating Officer, presented the report: Appointing an Independent Member. The report outlined the proposal to appoint at least two additional Independent Persons and the rationale behind it.
The report was debated by Committee, and the Chief Operating Officer responded to questions asked.
Resolved: That Council be recommended to:
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Local Authority Companies - Linked Bodies PDF 92 KB [Report to follow] Additional documents: Minutes: David Pattison, Chief Operating Officer, presented the report: Local Authority Companies - Linked Bodies. The report provided clarity on the approach taken regarding Linked Bodies – namely those bodies that the Council had ownership (or part ownership) of.
Councillor John Reynolds moved the recommendation in the report. Councillor Jonathan Crofts seconded the recommendation.
The report was debated by Committee, and the Chief Operating Officer responded to questions asked. It was clarified that a Councillor would not be a director of a Linked Body, and therefore to avoid confusion, it was agreed that paragraphs 10.11 and 10.12 of the ‘Code of Practice - Governance of Council involvement in linked bodies’ found at Appendix 2 of the report be removed.
It was noted that relevant officers and Councillors would receive the necessary guidance, and that the list of Linked Bodies on the council website would be updated.
Members of the Committee welcomed the report and thanked the Chief Operating Officer for his work.
Resolved:
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Introduction of Paperless Committee Meetings PDF 105 KB [To receive an update on how Councillors access committee papers and consider adopting a paperless approach]. Additional documents: Minutes: Laura Gittos, Head of Governance, presented the report: Introduction of Paperless Committee Meetings. The report provided an update on how Councillors accessed committee papers, the implications associated with receiving paper copies, and set out a proposed paperless approach.
The report was debated by Committee, and a number of key issues were raised. The Head of Governance responded to questions asked and it was noted that:
Resolved:
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2023 Parliamentary Boundary Review Update PDF 101 KB [To receive an update on the Parliamentary Constituencies Boundary Review] Additional documents:
Minutes: Laura Gittos, Head of Governance, presented the report: 2023 Parliamentary Boundary Review Update. The report provided an update on the Parliamentary Constituencies Boundary Review and shared the Returning Officers draft response to the consultation.
Councillor John Reynolds moved the recommendation in the report. Councillor Jonathan Crofts seconded the recommendation.
The report was debated by Committee, and in response to concerns raised it was agreed that paragraph 5.1 of the report be amended to:
I understand that the review is based on the wards in place as of 1 December 2020, but to have one local government ward (St Peters) that is split across all three parliamentary constituencies creates significant administrative challenges for designating polling districts and polling stations in these areas.
Resolved:
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