PURPOSE
To
enable the Council to function in emergency situations when fewer
Councillors and /or Officers are available to attend
meetings.
The
Committee will be convened, as required, as part of the Borough
Council’s Major Incidents and Emergency Planning
process.
The
decision to convene the Committee will be made by the Chief
Executive through consultation with the Leader and after the
Monitoring Officer has assessed the appropriateness of taking a
particular report to the Committee. The decision will be recorded
on the agenda.
The
Agenda will include a Statement of Purpose for the Committee being
convened and will record reasons why the decision being sought
could not be deferred, there will be a clear statement of what the
Committee will be discussing.
Equally a proposal to stand down the Committee will be brought
by the Chief Executive through consultation with the Leader to each
Committee, and after obtaining such advice as necessary form the
Monitoring Officer or their deputy as appropriate, such proposal to
stand down the Committee will be decided by a majority vote of
members at the meeting. All members of the council will also have
the ability to influence the decision to stand down the
committee. This can be undertaken by at
least a third of councillors writing to the Chief Executive and the
Monitoring Officer requesting the committee stands
down. If this action is taken then the
reinstatement of the full committee structure will take place or an
extraordinary council meeting can be called to debate any other
emergency governance models required to enable the council to
function lawfully.
Once the Committee is convened it can take on the role of the
delegations afforded to the following Committees: The executive
Committees are Council, Policy, Resources & Economic
Development, Environment, Enforcement & Housing, Community
& Health, Planning & Licensing and only the Audit/Financial
function of the Audit & Scrutiny. Committee The intention,
where possible, is to still undertake Planning & Licensing and
Audit & Scrutiny Committees separately when required and
appropriate. This will be decided by the Chief Executive through
consultation with the Leader. These powers can be in full or in
part.
All
members sitting on the Committee will have the appropriate Planning
and
Licensing Training prior to the consideration of any item,
relating to planning and licensing, being presented at this
committee.
The
Committee will only undertake decisions that relate to the audit
function of the Council and if there is a statutory reason that an
urgent decision is needed and the Audit & Scrutiny Committee
cannot be convened for whatever reason.
Any
decisions made by the Emergency Committee may be subject to the
scrutiny of the Audit & Scrutiny Committee when it is next
convened.
Officer delegations will remain as per the
Constitution.
The
Committee will also meet as required and consider the immediate
strategic issues for the Borough Council arising from the incident,
having received reports from the Chief Executive.
The
Committee may authorise action affecting any of the Borough
Council’s
functions, if the urgency of the situation demands this, subject
to such action being reported, together with the Committee’s
reasons for acting, to the next meeting of Full Council.
The
Committee must ensure that steps are being taken to provide, to
members of the public and the press, regular communications on the
incident and the action being taken.
·
Members of the Committee are to be suitably briefed
and prepared to make appropriate statements to the media if
required in consultation with the Councils’ communications
manager.
·
The Committee should consider the longer-term
implications arising from the incident and the impact these may
have on the Borough Council.
MEMBERSHIP
The
Committee shall consist of 10 named Members of the Borough Council,
to include:
·
Leader of the Council and Chair of Policy, Resources
& Economic
·
Development (who will be the Chairman of this
Committee)
·
Vice-Chairman of Policy, Resources and Economic
Development
·
The Chairman of the Community & Health
Committee
·
The Chairman of the Environment, Enforcement &
Housing Committee
·
The Leaders of all groups
·
Other named members to achieve a political
balance
If
there is a change of political balance on the Council, this
composition will be
recalculated by the Proper Officer and amended
accordingly.
Succession arrangements are key and for clarity it is confirmed
that formal
Delegations between Councillors will ensure continuity of the
Committee. Substitutes for this committee will be submitted in
writing by Group Leaders to the Chief Executive and Monitoring
Officer ahead of the first meeting and updated for future meetings
where necessary.
QUORUM
The
minimum number of members to transact any business shall be one
third (3) of the committee.
PROCEDURES, PROTOCOLS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
Except as provided below, the Chairman shall be responsible for
maintaining order and the effective conduct of business at
meetings.
Any
member of the Council can attend and may speak on any issue once,
as agreed through the Chairman, in line with the legislation in
force at the time.
Members of the public and press will be provided with the means
to attend the
meeting and have access to agendas, reports and other documents
necessary under the legislative provisions current at the time of
calling the meeting(s).
QUESTIONS
Members may ask questions to the Chair in the usual way. If the
meeting is virtual then the questions will be put in writing via
the appropriate text/chat box. The Chair may read the question and
provide a written or verbal response as appropriate.
VOTING
When Members are present at the meeting voting will be taken by
a show of hands.
If
Members are not present i.e. remotely using technology, a recorded
vote will be taken by the clerk.
In
the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second
or casting vote.
TRAINING
All
training requirements for the Committee will be ensured to enable
them to
undertake the delegations afforded to them when undertaking the
role of another Committee.