Part 4 - Rules of procedure
Below are the rules of procedure.
- 1 - Annual meeting of the County Council
- 2 - Ordinary meetings
- 3 - Extraordinary meetings
- 4 - Location and times of Full Council meetings
- 5 - Notice and summons to meetings
- 6 - Chair of meeting
- 7 - Quorum
- 8 - Questions from the public
- 9 - Questions by Members
- 10 - Notices of motion
- 11 - Motions without notice
- 12 - Rules of debate
- 13 - Previous decisions and motions
- 14 - Voting
- 15 - Minutes
- 16 - Record of attendance
- 17 - Exclusion of the public
- 18 - Members conduct
- 19 - Members interests in contracts and other matters
- 20 - Disturbance by the public
- 21 - Photography and audio recordings of meetings
- 22 - Electronic communication
- 23 - Suspension and amendment of procedural standing orders
- 24 - Authority of the Chair
- 25 - Group Leaders and Lead Members
- 26 - Application of procedural standing orders to other council bodies
- 27 - Election of Chair and Vice-Chair of committees
- 28 - Appointment of substitute members of committee
2.1 Ordinary meetings of the Council will take place in accordance with the programme decided at the Council’s annual meeting.
Ordinary meetings will:
2.1.1 Elect a person to preside if the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Council are not present;
2.1.2 Approve the minutes of the last meeting;
2.1.3 Receive any announcements from the Chair of the Council, Leader of the Council, Cabinet Members or Chief Executive;
2.1.4 Except at the first annual meeting of a new Council, receive and answer questions from the public concerning matters which are within the powers and duties of the Council or committee concerned;
2.1.5 To receive, without discussion, any petition submitted by a Member of the Council;
2.1.6 Receive reports that require a decision to be made by the Council from the Cabinet, any Scrutiny Committee or any other Council body, and debate and decide those matters;
2.1.7 Consider motions. Advisory note: a motion should only be considered at the Annual Meeting following a County Council election where an issue is time critical and needs to be determined without delay;
2.1.8 Except at the first annual meeting of a new Council, to answer Members’ questions;
2.1.9 Subject to Procedural Standing Order 9, afford the opportunity to all County Councillors present to ask questions about every decision made by the Cabinet, any Cabinet Member or any other Council body, or a key decision taken by an Officer, since the last ordinary meeting of the Council;
2.1.10 Debate reports as appropriate from each Scrutiny Committee;
2.1.11 Other business specified in the agenda.
2.2 The person presiding at the meeting may, at their discretion, vary the order of business. They may bring forward for consideration at any point, as a requirement of statute or urgency, any item that is not on the agenda and the reasons for so doing shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
2.3 The person presiding at the meeting may at any time call upon the Chief Executive or any other person who is not a Member of the Council to advise the Council on any matter referred to in the business under discussion.