Agenda item

(D) Report of Urgent Action Taken: Election of Deputy Chairmen – to note action taken under urgency procedures in approving amendments to Standing Order no.30, concerning the appointment of Deputy Chairmen to the Policy and Resources Committee.

For Information

16 May 2016

(D) Report of Urgent Action Taken: Election of Deputy Chairmen

The Court received a report advising of action taken in accordance with urgency procedures in approving an amendment to Standing Orders.

On 6 December 2012, as part of the post-implementation review of the introduction of the new governance arrangements, the Court of Common Council had agreed to the election of three Deputy Chairmen of the Policy and Resources Committee from 2013, and to a process for one of the Deputy Chairmen to be elected as the “Chairman in-waiting” in the last year of the Chairman’s term of office (thereby reducing the lead-in time for the ‘Chairman in-waiting’ of that Committee to one year). The Court of Common Council resolved that this should be achieved by the Policy and Resources Committee establishing a protocol. 

Whilst a protocol was consequently approved by the Policy and Resources Committee, the wording of Standing Order No. 30 had not been adequately amended and could therefore be interpreted such that it would not be consistent with the protocol. Standing Order No. 30 therefore required clarification and amendment to ensure there was no ambiguity regarding the protocol’s application; with the Policy and Resources Committee due to elect its Deputy Chairman on 19 May 2016, steps were therefore taken to rectify this error. The approval of the Court was therefore obtained under urgency procedures to amend Standing Order No. 30 to ensure that it was clear and in line with the agreed process.

The Court was therefore recommended to note that on 16 May 2016 approval was given, in accordance with Standing Order No. 19, to the amendment of Standing Order No. 30 as set out in Appendix A so as to ensure that there was no ambiguity regarding the application of the agreed protocol. The opportunity was also taken to amend the Standing Order to reflect the fact that the Guildhall Improvement Committee no longer existed.

Resolved – That the report be received and its content noted.