Meeting documents

1

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

There was no declaration of interest from any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

2

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 9th November 2006 were submitted and signed as a correct account of the meeting. (Council Minutes 14.12.2006, pages 88 - 92)

3

APPLICATION FOR DISPENSATION

A report by the Solicitor to the Monitoring Officer requesting dispensation for School Governors was submitted for consideration.

The report highlighted that the Council currently has 40 Members, of which, 36 are School Governors. The Council is currently undergoing discussions with regard to both Rationalisation of School Provision on Anglesey and Arfon and Anglesey Geographic Pathfinder - options for the provision of learning for

16 - 18 year olds. These topics will be covered by  the Education, Health and Welfare Policy Overview Committee, the Principal  Scrutiny Committee, the Executive and the County Council.

The request for dispensation for  Members who sit on School Governing Bodies was submitted so as to allow them to take part in discussion and voting on the schools organisation plan and the options for the provision of learning for 16 - 18 year olds, whether the individual school they are governors in, was

subject of detailed attention or not, subject to the dispensation not covering discussions or voting on specific schools of which they are members of the Governing Body.

In addition, the Education Health and Welfare Policy Overview Committee has 4 co-opted members with a right to vote, namely 2 representatives from the Church in Wales, the Catholic Church and 2 Parent Governors, one primary and one Secondary School representative. Dispensation was being asked for in respect of the 4 co-opted members to allow them to take part in discussions and vote on the schools organisation scheme and the provision of learning for 16 - 18 year olds at the Overview Committee.

The Code of Conduct in paragraph 5.1.3.3.(iii) states that members must consider they have personal interest in a matter to the extent that it relates to a body to which they have been appointed or nominated by the authority as a representative.  Members with an interest under paragraph 5.1.3.3.(iii) who are present in a meeting when the matter is discussed, must declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the discussion, they are allowed to speak on the matter but do not have the right to vote 5.1.3.7(i).

The Statutory Ground for requesting the dispensation for the Members is :-

no fewer than half of the members of the relevant authority or of a committee of the authority (as the case may be) by which the business is to be considered has an interest which relates to that business;

For the Co-opted Members on the Education Health and Welfare Overview Committee the following is applicable:-

the business to which the interest relates is to be considered by an overview and scrutiny committee of the relevant authority and the member’s interest is not a pecuniary interest;

Members were afforded the opportunity to question the Officer who has been appointed for the purpose of co-ordinating the Rationalisation of School Provisions process. He confirmed that this will be a lengthy process necessitating extensive consultation and discussion over a number of years.

The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to grant dispensation to:-

3.1

all Council Members who are also School Governors by virtue of them having been nominated as representatives of the Council, under clause 5.1.3.3.(iii) of the Code of Conduct, to enable them to take part in discussions and voting in relation to issues concerning the schools organisation plan and the provision of learning for 16 - 18 year olds, other than discussions and voting regarding specific schools of which they are members of the Governing Body;

3.2

Co-opted Members with a vote on the Education Health and Welfare Policy Overview Committee in relation to any discussions on the schools organisation plan and the provision of learning for 16-18 year olds, other than discussions and voting regarding specific schools of which they are members of the Governing Body.

DR GWYNETH ROBERTS

CHAIR