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32 Amendments to City Deal Executive Board and Assembly Standing Orders 
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Additional documents:
Minutes:
Matter for Decision
|
The
proposal to modify Standing Orders aimed to improve the way public questions
worked at the Greater Cambridge City Deal Executive Board and Joint
Assembly. The changes increased the
amount of notice required to submit a public question before the meeting,
whilst aiming to maintain the amount of time between publication of agenda
and deadline for questions. The
changes also ensured questions related to agenda items (whilst retaining
Chair’s discretion on this), and limited the number of words in a question. The
proposals reflected learning from the first year and a half of the Executive
Board and Joint Assembly, member feedback and suggestions from several key
stakeholders who had exercised their public speaking rights at the Board and
Assembly. These included Cambridge Past, Present and Future, Federation of
Cambridge Residents’ Associations, Cambridge Cycling Campaign, Smarter
Cambridge Transport, Coton Parish Council and Madingley Parish Council.
Greater
notice given for public questions and making public questions more focused
should improve transparency in decision-making and public information, as
well as the efficient discharge of City Deal business. |
Decision of the Leader and Executive
Councillor for Strategy and Transformation
i.
To recommend to Council to endorse the proposed
modified Standing Orders for the Greater Cambridge City Deal Joint Assembly and
Executive Board which were tabled at the Committee meeting.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The Committee received a report from the Head of
Corporate Strategy.
A tracked changed
version of the changes to the standing orders was tabled at the meeting
following inconsistencies being highlighted in the version contained in the
agenda pack.
The Committee made the following comments in response
to the report:
i.
The changes proposed made
sense as some of the public questions asked could require technical answers
which Officers would need time to consider. However expressed concern about
narrowing the scope regarding what questions could be asked and that there was
no provision for supplementary questions.
The Leader said the following:
i.
He believed that the
Committee should stick with the recommendations as proposed as there was
flexibility within the standing orders.
ii.
He would raise the issue
regarding supplementary questions with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the
Assembly.
An additional
recommendation was proposed by Councillor Bick to ask the Executive Councillor
to seek further agreement for provision for supplementary questions. This amendment was lost by 2 votes in favour
to 4 against.
The Committee
resolved by 4 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions to endorse the amended
recommendations.
The Leader approved the amended recommendation.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Leader (and any
Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Leader.
