Following a motion at Ordinary Council on 21 June 2023, which stated:-

“The Council notes:

• ‘Chairs Reports and Questions’ at Ordinary Council should provide democratic accountability of its leadership.

• Recently, Leaders have chaired PRED committees, allowing a very broad range of questions to be put to them. This may not be the case when a Leader chairs a Policy Committee with a more focused remit, or none at all.

 • This motion therefore calls for immediate amendment to Procedural Rule 7.2 that limits the scope of questions to (and omits specific inclusion of) the Council Leader.

This council resolves to:-

1. Require the council’s leader to be fully involved in chairs questions sessions across all areas of Council activity to promote public trust, encourage robust discussions, and enable greater scrutiny of actions and policies;

2. Introduce with immediate effect changes to fully include the Council Leader in Ordinary Council’s ‘Chairs Report and Questions’ session (to be renamed Leaders and Chairs’ Report and Questions) to cover “all areas of Council responsibility within the council’s area”;

3. Request the monitoring officer, in liaison with the Constitution Working Group, to bring forward to the next Ordinary Council the necessary changes Procedural Rule 7 (Chair Report and Questions) to give effect to this change.”

Under chapter 4, 8.3.7 (a) (i) The motion was referred to an appropriate body (CWG) for consideration with a report being brought back to the next meeting of Council.

Cllr Laplain MOVED and Cllr White SECONDED the recommendations in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY       

R1 To adopt the Leader’s Report under the chapter 4 paragraph 7, 1-3 to form part of the Chair’s Reports and Questions within the Constitution.

R2 The Monitoring Officer to make the change required to the Constitution with immediate effect.