Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Executive which proposed changes to the committee structure, Orders of Reference and Standing Orders, and presented the diary of meetings to December 2014 for substantive approval.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)              agree (1) the revised committee structure set out in Appendix A, incorporating a Finance, Policy and Resources Committee and a Petitions Committee with the same seat allocation as the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee; and (2) the corresponding changes to the committee Orders of Reference at Appendix B, on the understanding that the proposed procedure for the Petitions Committee at Appendix B1 was approved in principle and thereafter formed the basis of Orders of Reference to be submitted for approval by that committee at its first meeting;

(b)              approve the diary of meetings to December 2014, as at Appendix C, which was approved in principle on 6 March 2013, and which officers subsequently adjusted to, amongst other things referred to in paragraph 5.17 of the report, move the Council meeting from 3 to 31 October 2013; and authorise officers, in consultation with affected Conveners, to incorporate dates for any other newly-established committees or sub committees;

(c)               instruct officers to report to the relevant committees on timetables for scrutiny of arm’s length external organisations (ALEOs);

(d)              agree that the Shareholder Scrutiny Group established by the Urgent Business Committee be a sub committee of the Audit and Risk Committee and that it undertake that committee’s remit for scrutiny of the Bon Accord Care companies; determine the allocation of the six member seats on the group; and confirm the number of trade union representatives and voting rights, as well as the period of appointment if not to be until the end of the current Council term;

(e)              note that governance teams would be established for each ALEO, as outlined in paragraph 5.10 of the report;

(f)                 approve the revised Standing Orders at Appendix D;

(g)              appoint a Convener and Vice Convener of the Petitions Committee and determine any changes required to the payment of senior councillor allowances as a result of the revised committee structure;

(h)               note that the Standing Orders on Contracts and Procurement would be revised later this year, which could entail further changes to Council Standing Orders, both of which would be reported back to Council;

(i)                 instruct officers to report to the 31 October meeting on a process for handling complaints against external members of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Shareholder Scrutiny Group;

(j)                 instruct that a report be submitted to the 31 October meeting on a revised Scheme of Delegation to officers; and

(k)               approve the minute of meeting of the Democratic Processes Working Group of 4 June 2013, noting the minute of 29 April 2013, as at Appendices F and G.

Councillor Crockett moved, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-

That the Council -

(1)           agree (a) the revised committee structure set out at Appendix A, incorporating a Finance, Policy and Resources Committee and a Petitions Committee with the same seat allocation as the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee; (b) the corresponding changes to the committee Orders of Reference at Appendix B,on the understanding that the proposed procedure for the Petitions Committee at Appendix B1was approved in principle and thereafter formed the basis of Orders of Reference to be submitted for approval by that committee at its first meeting; (c) the following changes to Orders of Reference and Standing Orders necessitated by -

·        the remit for Police and Fire and Rescue transferring to a renamed Social Care, Wellbeing and Safety Committee

·        the establishment of a Property Sub Committee of Finance, Policy and Resources comprising nine members (3 Labour, 3 SNP, 1 Liberal Democrat, 1 Conservative and 1 Independent Alliance) to undertake that Committee’s remit on asset management and property matters

·        the Development Management Sub Committee becoming the Planning Development Management Committee with 15 members, with an unchanged remit

·        the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee being renamed the Enterprise, Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee; and

(d) the revised allocation of seats on committees as detailed below;

(2)           approve the diary of meetings to December 2014 at Appendix C, which was approved in principle on 6 March 2013, and which officers subsequently adjusted to, amongst other things referred in paragraph 5.17, move the Council meeting from 3 to 31 October 2013, and in addition agree to move the Education, Culture and Sport Committee scheduled for 10 June 2014 to 12 June 2014; and authorise officers, in consultation with affected Conveners, to incorporate dates for any other newly-established committees or sub committees;

(3)           instruct officers to report to the relevant committees on timetables for scrutiny of arm’s length external organisations (ALEOs);

(4)           agree that the Shareholder Scrutiny Group established by the Urgent Business Committee be a sub committee of the Audit and Risk Committee and that it undertake that committee’s remit for scrutiny of the Bon Accord Care companies, and that it comprise six elected members (four administration and two opposition) and two trade union representatives with full voting rights and that they be members for the remainder of the Council term;

(5)           note that governance teams would be established for each ALEO, as outlined at paragraph 5.10;

(6)           approve the revised Standing Orders at Appendix D; subject to the following changes -

·          delete Standing Order 3(4)(a)(i) to permit meetings of Council, committees and sub committees during the recess without the need to suspend Standing Orders;

·          delete Standing Orders 12(5) and (6) and replace with:-

“The Convener of a committee or sub committee shall have the prior right to the motion in all cases. The Leader of the Council shall have the prior right to propose a Council budget”;

·          delete the proposed amendment to Standing Order 12(7);

·          specify under Standing Order 13(1) that a member seconding the mover of a budget shall  speak for ten minutes; and

·          add a new Standing Order 45(3) and renumber thereafter accordingly:-

 “All reports by Council officers shall be sent in draft form to the Council Leader, Convener of the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee and the appropriate Convener and Vice Convener prior to being placed on the relevant agenda”

(7)           appoint Councillor Donnelly and Councillor Carle as Convener and Vice Convener of the Petitions Committee and otherwise suspend Standing Order 2(1) and approve the following appointments:-

·          Councillor Taylor as Vice Convener of the Enterprise, Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee

·          Councillor Milne as Convener of the Planning Development Management Committee

·          Councillor Forsyth as Vice Convener of the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee

·          Councillor Allan as Convener of the Property Sub Committee

·          Councillor Graham as Vice Convener of the Social Care, Wellbeing and Safety Committee with responsibility for Police and Fire;

and the changes to the payment of Senior Councillor allowances as a result of the revised committee structure, including increasing the allowance to Councillor Forsyth as Convener of the Licensing Committee to £28,410 (as detailed below);         

(8)           note that the Standing Orders on Contracts and Procurement would be revised later this year, which could entail further changes to Council Standing Orders, both of which would be reported back to Council;

(9)           instruct officers to report to the 31 October meeting on a process for handling complaints against external members of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Shareholder Scrutiny Group;

(10)       instruct that a report be submitted to the meeting on 31 October, on a revised Scheme of Delegation to officers; and

(11)       approve the minute of meeting of the Democratic Processes Working Group of 4 June 2013, noting the minute of 29 April 2013, as at Appendices F and G.

New structure with proposed changes

Councillor Yuill moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Jennifer Stewart:-

That the Council -

(1)          agree (a) the revised committee structure set out in Appendix A, incorporating a Finance, Policy and Resources Committee and a Petitions Committee with the same seat allocation as the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee; and (b) the corresponding changes to the committee Orders of Reference at Appendix B, on the understanding that the proposed procedure for the Petitions Committee at Appendix B1 was approved in principle and thereafter formed the basis of Orders of Reference to be submitted for approval by that committee at its first meeting;

(2)          approve the diary of meetings to December 2014, as at Appendix C, which was approved in principle on 6 March 2013, and which officers subsequently adjusted to, amongst other things referred to in paragraph 5.17 of the report, move the Council meeting from 3 to 31 October 2013; and authorise officers, in consultation with affected Conveners, to incorporate dates for any other newly-established committees or sub committees;

(3)          instruct officers to report to the relevant committees on timetables for scrutiny of arm’s length external organisations (ALEOs);

(4)          agree that the Shareholder Scrutiny Group established by the Urgent Business Committee be a sub committee of the Audit and Risk Committee and that it undertake that committee’s remit for scrutiny of the Bon Accord Care companies and that its membership comprise three members of the administration, three members of the opposition and two voting trade union representatives appointed annually;

(5)          note that governance teams would be established for each ALEO, as outlined in paragraph 5.10 of the report;

(6)          approve the revised Standing Orders at Appendix D and in Standing Order 13(1) agree the option allowing those seconding Council Budget proposals to have unlimited time;

(7)          note that the Standing Orders on Contracts and Procurement would be revised later this year, which could entail further changes to Council Standing Orders, both of which would be reported back to Council;

(8)          instruct officers to report to the 31 October meeting on a process for handling complaints against external members of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Shareholder Scrutiny Group;

(9)          instruct that a report be submitted to the 31 October meeting on a revised Scheme of Delegation to officers; and

(10)     approve the minute of meeting of the Democratic Processes Working Group of 4 June 2013, noting the minute of 29 April 2013, as at Appendices F and G.

Councillor McCaig moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Jackie Dunbar:-

That the Council -

(1)          agree (a) the revised committee structure set out in Appendix A, incorporating a Finance, Policy and Resources Committee and a Petitions Committee with the same seat allocation as the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee; (b) the corresponding changes to the committee Orders of Reference at Appendix B, on the understanding that the proposed procedure for the Petitions Committee at Appendix B1 was approved in principle and thereafter formed the basis of Orders of Reference to be submitted for approval by that committee at its first meeting; and (c) to instruct officers to report back to the Council on the feasibility of the Petitions Committee including two members of the public, one of whom would chair the meetings;

(2)          approve the diary of meetings to December 2014, as at Appendix C, which was approved in principle on 6 March 2013, and which officers subsequently adjusted to, amongst other things referred to in paragraph 5.17 of the report, move the Council meeting from 3 to 31 October 2013; and authorise officers, in consultation with affected Conveners, to incorporate dates for any other newly-established committees or sub committees;

(3)          instruct officers to report to the relevant committees on timetables for scrutiny of arm’s length external organisations (ALEOs);

(4)          agree that the Shareholder Scrutiny Group established by the Urgent Business Committee be a sub committee of the Audit and Risk Committee and that it undertake that committee’s remit for scrutiny of the Bon Accord Care companies and that its membership comprise three members of the administration, three members of the opposition and two voting trade union representatives appointed annually;

(5)          note that governance teams would be established for each ALEO, as outlined in paragraph 5.10 of the report;

(6)          approve the revised Standing Orders at Appendix D and in Standing Order 13(1) agree the option allowing those seconding Council Budget proposals to have unlimited time;

(7)          note that the Standing Orders on Contracts and Procurement would be revised later this year, which could entail further changes to Council Standing Orders, both of which would be reported back to Council;

(8)          instruct officers to report to the 31 October meeting on a process for handling complaints against external members of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Shareholder Scrutiny Group;

(9)          instruct that a report be submitted to the 31 October meeting on a revised Scheme of Delegation to officers; and

(10)     approve the minute of meeting of the Democratic Processes Working Group of 4 June 2013, noting the minute of 29 April 2013, as at Appendices F and G.

During the course of summing up, Councillor Yuill intimated that he was willing to incorporate Councillor McCaig’s amendment into his own amendment and this was accepted.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (22)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Forsyth, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Taylor, Thomson and Young.

For the amendment by Councillor Yuill   (17)  -  Councillors Cameron, Delaney, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Greig, Jaffrey, Kiddie, MacGregor, McCaig, Malone, May, Noble, Samarai, Jennifer Stewart, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.

The Council resolved:-

(i)                 to adopt the motion; and

(ii)               to request the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to notify Group Leaders where changes required to be made in regard to the allocation of committee places.

In terms of Standing Order 15(6), Councillors Delaney, Greig, Malone, Jennifer Stewart and Yuill intimated their dissent against the foregoing decision.