Agenda item

A joint report of the Town Clerk and the Comptroller & City Solicitor seeking approval of a revised request form and guidance to Members about the granting of dispensations.

The Committee received a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Comptroller & City Solicitor relative to the guidance that was available to Members about requests for a dispensation to speak and/or vote on matters where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.  The revised form for requesting a dispensation had been updated in light of the Committee’s earlier discussion at its meeting on 14^th June 2013 and some concerns that were raised regarding the need for sufficient detail about each request to enable the Committee to reach an informed decision. 

In respect of paragraph 9 of the report and references to a written request for a dispensation that had been received from Mr Greg Lawrence, the Committee was advised that this request would not be considered at this meeting but would instead be considered by the new Dispensations Sub Committee in due course.

Some Members suggested that there should be provision on the form to allow Members to specify in all cases if a request was urgent.  At present this would be obvious if a dispensation was requested for or from a specific date, but not if a dispensations was simply requested until the Ward elections in 2017. 

In light of the various forms that Members were expected to complete in respect of the governance framework (annual statement of gifts and hospitality, Members’ Declaration form), Members asked that the options for circulating a consolidated form, preferably in electronic format, be explored by the Town Clerk.

RESOLVED:- That –

(i)         the revised form and guidance, subject to the inclusion of provision on the form in which Members could specify if a request was urgent, be approved;

(ii)        an annual reminder be circulated to all Members regarding the granting of dispensations; and

(iii)       the options for creating and circulating a consolidated form that addressed the various governance requirements be explored by the Town Clerk.