Agenda item

The Council Procedure Rules are set out in Part 4 of Waverley’s Constitution.

The Standards Committee are invited to consider the following proposals, that have been put forward by the Leader and Deputy Leader, as Portfolio Holders for Policy & Governance:

1.    Member Conduct - Removal of the requirement to stand to speak at Full Council (PR 21.1)

2.    Questions by the public – To amend PR 10 to re-introduce informal questions at meetings of Full Council.

3.    Voting – PR 17.7 states that any voting referred to in PR17 may be conducted using any electronic voting systems available in the Council Chamber. It is proposed that the electronic voting system be used at Full Council and Planning Committee meetings from 1 October 2019.

4.    Voting – Where the electronic voting system is used in Full Council or a Planning Committee meeting, the requirement of PR17.4 to formally request a recorded vote is waived and the names for and against the motion or amendment or abstaining from voting will be entered in the minutes. 

Recommendation

That the Standards Committee considers the proposals for changes to the Council’s Procedure Rules, and makes recommendations to Council, as appropriate.

12.1     The Chairman introduced this item, which invited the Committee to consider, and make recommendations on, proposals from the Deputy Leader to amend certain Council Procedure Rules.

12.2     Removal of the requirement to stand to speak at Full Council (PR 21.1)

12.2.1  Committee Members agreed that any Member who, due to illness or disability, was unable to stand to speak at Council should be given dispensation to remain seated, and the Mayor had discretion to agree this if circumstances required it. It was also noted that a few Councils, including Guildford, had removed the requirement to stand to speak at Full Council meetings following the installation of new microphones and web-casting equipment, to ensure that their Members could use the microphones without stooping.

12.2.2  However, the Committee felt strongly that standing to speak and address the Mayor at Full Council was a mark of respect for the Mayor and their status as Chairman of the Council and the Queen’s representative. There were also practical aspects, in that it was clear to everyone in the Council Chamber who was speaking if they stood up; and only one Member was allowed to stand and speak at any time.

12.2.3  The Committee RESOLVED unanimously that it did not wish to make a recommendation to amend Procedure Rule 21.1.

12.3     Questions by members of the Public (PR 10)

12.3.1  Following the re-instatement of Informal Questions before meetings of the Executive, it was proposed that a similar arrangement be re-instated before meetings of Full Council.

12.3.2  The Committee noted that informal questions, lasting 15 minutes, had been introduced originally in 2003 before all committee meetings. It was noted that asking questions without notice carried a risk of not getting a comprehensive response at the meeting. It was also noted that it had been some time since there had been an appreciable number of questions from the public on a regular basis at Council meetings.

12.3.3  The Committee was content to see the re-instatement of informal questions before Full Council, on the same basis as they had operated previously and on a trial basis to see how it works. It was important that the Council meeting still started on time at 7pm, so informal questions would need to start commence at 6.45pm.

12.3.4  The Committee RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to Council the re-instatement of informal questions before the start of Council meetings, on the same basis as the had operated previously and on a trial basis; and delegated approval of the revised wording to Procedure Rule 10 to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

At 5.50pm, the Committee agreed to adjourn proceedings in order to take part in a demonstration of the Council Chamber electronic voting system. At 6.05pm, the meeting resumed.

12.4     Electronic voting (PR 17)

12.4.1  The Committee noted that the Procedure Rules already allowed for any vote referred to in PR 17 to be conducted using any electronic voting system available in the Council Chamber, and that it had been proposed by the Council Leadership that the electronic voting be used at meetings of Full Council and Planning Committee meetings for 1 October.

12.4.2  The Committee had been asked to consider the proposal that where the electronic voting system was used in Full Council or a Planning Committee meeting, the requirement of PR17.4 for a Member to formally request a recorded vote, with the support of five other Members, be waived and the names for and against the motion or amendment or abstaining from voting would be entered into the minutes.

12.4.3  The Committee thanked officers for the helpful demonstration of the electronic voting system. The Committee agreed that, in principle, they had no objection to the use of the electronic voting system in Full Council; and they could be persuaded of its benefits in Joint Planning Committee. However, the Committee did not feel that it would be worthwhile in meetings of the Area Planning Committees as it would take longer than voting by show of hands, and it was important that members of the public in the gallery should be able to see how Members had voted. 

12.4.4  The Committee had some concerns about the way the results were displayed on the screen, and asked officers to explore whether this could be improved, for example by increasing the size of the font so that it was easier to read.

12.4.5  With regard to recorded votes by default at Full Council and Planning Committees, the Committee had seen the way that the names of Members and the way they had voted was displayed on the main screen in the Council Chamber, and on the television facing the public gallery. They were concerned that the display of the names was too small and unclear, especially on the screen facing the public gallery, which would make it difficult if not impossible for Members and the public to see how Members had voted until the results were published on-line and in the Minutes.

12.4.6  In conclusion, the Committee RESOLVED that the decision on whether electronic recorded voting should be the default in Full Council and Planning Committees should be deferred until Officers had explored with the software provider how the display of recorded votes could be improved to ensure that the display was clear for Members in the Chamber and members of the public in the gallery, as well as viewers of the webcast.