PAPER B

SELECT COMMITTEE LIAISON COMMITTEE PROCEDURE RULES

1.        Terms of Reference for the Liaison Committee

           (a)       To oversee the work of all the Select Committees and that the potential for duplication of effort is minimised.

           (b)       Where matters fall within the remit of more than one Select Committee, to determine which of them will assume responsibility for any particular issue, and to resolve any issues of dispute between Select Committees.

           (c)       To receive requests from the Executive and/or the full Council for reports from Select Committees and to allocate them if appropriate to one or more Select Committees.

           (d)       To put in place and maintain a system to ensure that referrals from Select Committees to the Executive, either by way of report or for reconsideration are managed efficiently.

2.        Who may sit on the Liaison Committee?

The Chairman of each of the Council’s Select Committees, or in the relevant Chairman’s absence, the Vice Chairman of that Select Committee and three other members to ensure political proportionality.

3.        Meetings of the Liaison Committee

           (a)       The Liaison Committee shall meet whenever there is business to conduct.

           (b)       Meetings shall be open to the public and press in accordance with the Access to Information Procedure Rules

4.        Quorum

The quorum for the Liaison Committee shall be 5.

5.        Who Chairs Liaison Committee meetings?

           (a)       The Chairman shall be appointed at the first meeting following the Annual Council;

           (b)       The Chairman shall preside at any meeting of the Liaison Committee. If the Chairman is not present, the remaining members of the Liaison Committee shall elect a Chairman for that meeting.

6.        Agenda items

Any member of the Liaison Committee shall be entitled to give notice to the Proper Officer that he/she wishes an item relevant to the functions of the Liaison Committee to be included on the agenda for the next available meeting. On receipt of such a request the Proper Officer will ensure that it is included on the next available agenda.

7.        Officers attendance at Liaison Committee meetings

           (a)       Where any officer is required to attend a Liaison Committee the Chairman of the Liaison Committee will inform the Proper Officer. The Proper Officer shall inform the officer in writing giving at least 10 working days notice of the meeting at which he/she is required to attend. The notice will state the nature of the item on which he/she is required to attend and whether any papers are required to be produced for the Committee.

           (b)       Where the officer is unable to attend on the required date, then the Liaison Committee shall in consultation with the officer arrange an alternative date for attendance.

8.        Attendance by others

The Liaison Committee may invite people other than those people referred to in paragraph 7 above to address it, discuss issues of concern and/or answer questions on matters that fall within the terms of reference of the Liaison Committee.

9.        Procedure at Liaison Committee meetings

The Liaison Committee shall consider the following business :

                       (i)        minutes of the last meeting;

                       (ii)       any urgent item of business which is not included on an agenda but the Chairman, after consultation with the Proper agrees should be raised;

                       (iii)       consideration of any matter referred to the Committee for discussion by the Executive;

                       (iv)      the business otherwise set out on the agenda for the meeting;