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Agenda item

Public Forum

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

 

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum. The detailed arrangements for so doing are set out in the Public Information Sheet at the back of this agenda. Public Forum items should be emailed to committee.system@bristol.gov.uk and please note that the following deadlines will apply in relation to this meeting:-

 

Questions - Written questions must be received 3 clear working days prior to the meeting. For this meeting, this means that your question(s) must be received in this office at the latest by 5pm on Monday 24th April 2023.

 

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and statements must be received on the working day prior to the meeting. For this meeting this means that your submission must be received in this office at the latest by 12 Noon on Thursday 27th April 2023.

 

Please note, your time allocated to speak may have to be strictly limited if there are a lot of submissions. This may be as short as one minute

Minutes:

The following public forum questions and statements were received for the meeting.

 

Questions (and answers)

 

No.

Name 

Question 

PQ 01

Dan Ackroyd

Q1. Meetings in Bristol City Council have a recurring problem with senior council members talking out of turn, to talk over other people, and currently the people chairing meetings seem to take no action against this disruption. What changes are going to be made to how meetings are run to make this less of an issue under the committee system?

A1. This is a question for the Committee Members to answer.

   PQ 02

Clive Stevens

Q2. Agenda item 4 - decisions log: In the February sessions you decided to constitute an Escalations Panel. This was in response to issues about scrutiny and ensuring decision making is to the best benefit of the public as a whole. I do not see from the Work Programme that you have allocated time for further discussion about this valuable new addition to Bristol City Council’s system of governance. Could you consider including time for further discussion and decisions please to refine the workings of the Escalations Panel? (I would be very happy to furnish some examples of why it is an important addition to the Committee System).

A2. In July 23, the CMWG will be agreeing the remainder of their Work Programme for 23/24. Items will include consideration of any areas, such as the Escalation Panel, where more details may be required before redrafting or preparing the relevant parts of the Constitution can commence.

PQ 03

Clive Stevens

 

Q3. Agenda item 7 – Roles and Responsibilities of Councillors: There doesn’t appear to be any mention in the current report of councillors’ requirements to scrutinise the information provided to them. Given that you have decided to build scrutiny into the job tasks of each committee, could you consider adding this job to committee members please?

A3. Members of the CMWG are invited to share their views on this suggestion.

PQ 04

Clive Stevens

 

Q4. Agenda item 7 - Appendix A part 6 - Chair of a Policy Committee – Generic Chairs’

Responsibilities. (Para 2, top of page 8 of 11). This paragraph requires the chair of a policy committee to be impartial. I don’t think this is possible in many cases and could become grounds for challenge. The chair needs to be fair and run a meeting in such a way as to facilitate open discussions etc. Clearly a chair mustn’t be pre-determined but I don’t think they need to pretend to be impartial, being fair is sufficient.  Please consider the use of the word impartial in that specific clause?

A4. The Nolan Principles state that ‘holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.’ Therefore, use of the term impartial is consistent.

PQ 05

Clive Stevens

 

Q5. Agenda item 7 - Appendix A part 6 - Chair of a Policy Committee – Generic Chairs’

Responsibilities. (Para 2, top of page 8 of 11).

In the future you may decide you need to add the requirement that a chair allows a minority report (or however you call it) from a few councillors on a Policy Committee to go to the Escalations Panel. Could you confirm with the Monitoring Officer that an amendment like this could be added in at a later date please?

A5. Members have not yet finalised the arrangements for the Escalation Panel and will consider this in due course.

PQ 06

Suzanne Audrey

 

Q6. The paper on the roles and responsibilities of councillors seems to focus on the practicalities of who does what, and that is obviously important. There is some reference to 'high standards of ethical conduct', but there is nothing in the paper to say what those standards are. Is it possible to include a paragraph referring to the 'Nolan principles' and Bristol City Council's Member Code of Conduct?

A6. Members of the CMWG are invited to share their views on this suggestion.

PQ 07

Suzanne Audrey 

Q7. I see that the current member Code of Conduct states: This code of conduct is to be signed immediately by you upon being sworn office and this will be done by the Monitoring Officer. What training is provided to councillors about the content and meaning of the member Code of Conduct, and could it be improved under the new committee system?

A7. All Councillors are provided with training on the Code of Conduct as part of their induction and we will be working with Members to design the training programme for 2024 in due course.

 

 

Statements 

 

Number 

Name

PS 01 

Suzanne Audrey

PS 02 

David Redgewell

PS03 

Clive Stevens

PS04 

Martin Fodor

 

The following information was provided in response to supplementary questions:

·       A comprehensive Member Induction Programme will be delivered to the 2024 cohort of Members which will include sessions on chairing skills training and the Code of Conduct.

·       Attendees were reminded that all Members sign the Member Code of Conduct, and the Monitoring Officer is available to provide advice and guidance when required. It is the responsibility of Members to ensure all appropriate interests are declared.

·       Committee Chairs are required to ensure that any disruption in meetings is kept to a minimum, and that Members are working as a cohesive group.

·       The Escalation Panel would be discussed in further detail at a later meeting, to include consideration of the composition and how decisions will be referred. 

 

RESOLVED: That the public forum be noted.

 

Supporting documents: