Issue - meetings

To consider and endorse the draft Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny.

Richard Beaumont presented the report of the Assistant Chief Executive seeking the Commission’s agreement to the draft Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny before its consideration by the Governance and Audit Committee.

The Commission considered whether to reduce the deadline for requests to speak to two days but ultimately agreed the three days recommended in the report.

Although the operational arrangements had not yet been worked out, no difficulties were anticipated.  Members discussed whether questions should be limited to items on the agenda or any matter relating to the business of that Panel/Commission.

Arising from questions:-

• Panel Chairmen already had the discretion to accept questions from the public.
• The suggestion of a short ‘Question Time’ on the agenda.

The Commission agreed that

• In number 1 of matters falling outside the scheme ‘Individual’s’ should be deleted and ‘Personal’ added.
• The fifth bullet of number 6 should be amended.  The restriction should not be to individual meeting agendas, only to the remit of the Commission or Panel concerned.
• In number 6 of the same section, ‘and has been considered’ should be added to the third bullet point.
• The scheme should be reviewed in due course.

The Commission

(i)                  endorsed the scheme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report; and

(ii)                noted that further proposals may be brought forward in due course, in the light of practical experience, to extend the public participation arrangements, and to expand the scheme through the use of social media.