Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which presented a proposed calendar of Council, Committee and Sub Committee meetings for January to March 2018 for approval, and proposed changes in respect of the Pensions Committee, Pensions Board and Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)          approve the proposed calendar of meetings to March 2018 as set out in Appendix 1;

(b)          note that a new Committee structure was expected to be effective from 1 April 2018 and that a calendar of meetings for April to December 2018 would be reported to Council in December 2017;

(c)          approve the change of composition to the Pensions Committee as set out at paragraph 3.5 of the report;

(d)          agree that Councillor Jennifer Stewart replace Councillor Donnelly, the Depute Provost, as Convener of the Pensions Committee;

(e)          note that Councillor John would replace Councillor Hunt on the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee;

(f)           agree that Councillor John replace Councillor Hunt as Vice Convener of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee; and

(g)          note that Councillor Donnelly would replace Councillor John as the Aberdeen City Council representative on the Pensions Board.

Councillor Boulton moved, seconded by Councillor Houghton:-

            That the Council -

(1)      approve the amended diary for the period to 31 March 2018 as appended;

(2)      note that this means that Council meetings would now be held on Mondays and agree to change the date of the Council meeting scheduled for 13 December 2017 to Monday 11 December 2017;

(3)      note that the Planning Development Management Committee (Visits) meetings would revert to Thursdays;

(4)      agree that Councillor Boulton replace Councillor Avril MacKenzie on the Board of Aberdeen Performing Arts; and

(5)      to approve recommendations (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) contained within the report.

Councillor Nicoll moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Jackie Dunbar:-

            That the Council -

(1)      approve recommendations (a), (b), (c) and (d) contained within the report;

(2)      does not believe that Councillor John is a fit and proper person to be appointed as Vice Convener of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee due to his apparent views expressed on social media that it was ‘quite ridiculous that she had to resign for telling hard truths that some don’t want to hear’ in respect of a statement on social media that a Shadow Minister had been driven out of Shadow Minister job for apparently writing ‘Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping white girls’; and

(3)      therefore agree that the Administration should appoint a different Vice Convener at the earliest possible opportunity.

Councillor Yuill moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Greig:-

That the Council does not make any changes to the dates of Council meetings.

            DECLARATION OF INTERESTS           

At this juncture, Councillors Jackie Dunbar, Hutchison, Catriona MacKenzie and McRae declared interests as employees of Kevin Stewart MSP, who had been referred to in debate. None of the aforementioned Councillors considered that the nature of their interests required them to leave the meeting.

Councillor Samarai declared an interest as an employee of Mark McDonald MSP, who had been referred to in debate. Councillor Samarai did not consider that the nature of her interest required her to leave the meeting.

Prior to summing up, Councillor Yuill agreed to withdraw his amendment as the content was subsumed within the amendment by Councillor Nicoll.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Bell, Boulton, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Houghton, Hunt, Imrie, John, Laing, Lumsden, Macdonald, Avril MacKenzie, Malik, Mason MSP, Reynolds, Sellar, Jennifer Stewart and Wheeler.

For the amendment by Councillor Nicoll  (20)  -  Councillors Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, Catriona MacKenzie, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Samarai, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (1)  -  Councillor Flynn.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.