Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Monitoring Officer, (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Monitoring Officer seeking a decision as to whether the Performance, Governance and Audit Committee or Corporate Governance Working Group should be responsible for reviewing constitutional documents. 

It was noted that both the Committee and Working Group had within their respective remits a responsibility in this area of work and so their roles overlapped significantly.  For the sake of clarity it was necessary to decide which of the two bodies should be recommending to the Council on changes to the Constitution.

Brief discussion ensued in which support was given for the valuable role of the Working Group, a Working Group of the Council which enabled a thorough examination of matters with Members working closely with Officers.  It could draw in a wider involvement of Members and historically had considered other matters referred to it.  The Leader of the Council proposed that the Working Group be retained for its present purposes, and this was duly seconded. 

The opposing view supported retention of the Committee for this purpose, the Committee having been set up as a Governance Committee.  If working properly there was every opportunity for Member involvement and for matters to be discussed openly and transparently.

The Chairman then put the proposition in the name of the Leader of the Council that the Working Group be retained, and upon a vote taken this was declared lost.

RESOLVED that the Corporate Governance Working Group ceases to exist.