Decision details

Cabinet

AGREED       

A)           Portfolio Holder meetings should

Provide a timely public forum for

·         The determination of decisions falling within each Portfolio Holder’s remit

·         The agreement and subsequent monitoring of service plans and other performance information within that remit.

·         The consideration, including appropriate pre-scrutiny, of certain matters for subsequent determination by the Cabinet and Council.”

B)           That the following operating guidelines in respect of Portfolio Holder meetings be agreed:

(i)                  In the interests of open and transparent government, all Portfolio Holder decisions shall be taken at meetings;

(ii)                The Chief Executive, Executive Director or appropriate Corporate Manager, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, is authorised to determine where, in the case of urgent and unforeseen matters, it is appropriate for a matter to be determined outside a formal meeting.

(iii)               Annual meeting schedules for each Portfolio Holder shall be agreed at his/her first meeting of the civic year or by mid-June, whichever is the earlier.

(iv)              Scheduled meetings shall be cancelled when there is no substantive business to be considered.

(v)                The Portfolio Holder may request that additional meetings are arranged as and when required.

(vi)              Reports to Portfolio Holder meetings shall be presented by the relevant member of the Executive Management Team (Chief Officer, Corporate Manager, the Human Resources Manager or Principal Solicitor), unless other specific arrangements have been agreed in advance between the Portfolio Holder and officer(s) concerned.

(vii)             Each Portfolio Holder shall maintain, for agreement at each meeting, a Forward Plan identifying all matters relevant to the Portfolio which it is believed are likely to be the subject of consideration and/or decision by the Portfolio Holder, Cabinet, Council, or any other constituent part of the Council. The plan shall be updated as necessary and published on the Council’s website following each meeting; the Portfolio Holder shall be responsible for the content and accuracy of their forward plan.

(viii)           That Portfolio Holder agenda should not, save in exceptional circumstances, contain either reports ‘to follow’ or items for verbal update.

(ix)              Reports and recommendations shall be set out on the corporate template. Decision notices are not required for matters to be decided at Portfolio Holder meetings, however they shall continue to be used if a decision is required to be taken outside of a formal meeting.