Agenda item

The Committee had before it a number of requests for deputation as follows:

·           Item 6.1 of the agenda (Business Plan 2011/12 to 2015/16 - Lavina Massie, Chair of the Community Planning Partnership and the Fairer Scotland Fund Board – specifically in relation to options CG_CS_FS03 and CG_CS_FS01 (Fairer Scotland Fund – page 169 of the agenda).

·           Item 6.1 of the agenda (Business Plan 2011/12 to 2015/16 - Hillari Hastings, Gilcomstoun ASN (additional support needs) base parent and member of ASN Parent Forum, specifically in relation to option ECS_E41 (ASN Services – page 151 of the agenda).

·           Item 13.2 – Land at Pitmedden Road, Dyce - Sue Lemon, Chairperson of Dyce Sports and Leisure Development Trust.

·           Item 13.6 – Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Club- Cameron Millar, Treasurer, Bon Accord Bowling Club.

In relation to the two requeststo speak to item 6.1 of the agenda (Business Plan 2011/12 to 2015/16), prior to the meeting, the Director of Corporate Governance had advised that it was his view that this report was part of the budget process of Council, and therefore, the Committee were advised by the clerk that in terms of Standing Order 10(1), the requests were incompetent. The requests in relation to items 13.2 (Land at Pitmedden Road, Dyce) and 13.6 (Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre) of the agenda had been received in terms of Standing Orders.

The Convener (1) advised that he was minded not to consider the two requests in relation to item 6.1 (Business Plan 2011/12 to 2015/16) of the agenda; (2) further advised that the request in relation to item 13.2 (Land at Pitmedden Road, Dyce) of the agenda had been withdrawn immediately prior to the meeting; and (3) proposed that the Committee agree to hear the deputation in relation to item 13.6 (Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre).

At this point, Councillor Young disputed the advice provided by officers, and suggested that as today’s meeting was not a budget meeting of Council, called in accordance with Standing Order 4 (ie for consideration of the annual budget), that the deputations in relation to item 6.1 of the agenda,  were competent. The clerk to the Committee advised that Standing Order 10(1) stated ‘that no application in respect of a request for deputation shall be accepted which relates to the annual budget’, and reiterated that this Standing Order did not make a reference to the annual budget meeting of Council, but merely to the ‘annual budget’; and therefore in his view, the requests were incompetent in view of the Director’s earlier comment that the Business Plan was part of the budget process. The final decision however, was for members to take.

Councillor Young did not accept this advice, and further, did not accept that Standing Orders required to be suspended in order for the requests for deputation to be considered. On hearing this, the Convener concluded the discussion.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to not consider the requests for deputation from (1) Lavina Massie, Chair of the Community Planning Partnership and the Fairer Scotland Fund Board; and (2) Hillari Hastings, Gilcomstoun ASN (additional support needs) base parent and member of ASN Parent Forum, in relation to item 6.1 of the agenda (Business Plan 2011/12 to 2015/16);

(ii)        to note that the deputation request from Sue Lemon, chairperson of Dyce Sports and Leisure Development Trust, in relation to item 13.2 of the agenda (Land at Pitmedden Road, Dyce), had been withdrawn; and

(iii)       to hear a deputation from Cameron Millar, Treasurer, Bon Accord Bowling Club in relation to 13.6 of the agenda (Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre); and for this deputation, and the corresponding report, to be considered as the first item of exempt business on this day.