The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report setting out recommended amendments to the Council’s Constitution to reflect changes to the Council’s arrangements for the governance of its companies and joint ventures and a proposed new whistleblowing policy.

Recommendations: that Council resolves to:

1.     Approve the proposed changes to part 3 and 8 of the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1, and the inclusion of the terms of reference for the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group as an annex to Part 3 and the Scrutiny Committee’s Operating Principles as an annex to Part 8.

2.     Note the revised programme of meetings for the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group shown in Table 1 of the report;

3.     Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to replace the current Whistle Blowing Policy with the new Whistle Blowing Policy in Part 25 of the Constitution, subject to the Audit and Governance Committee approving the new policy;

4.     Note that political groups will be invited to nominate members to form a “Constitution Review Group” to oversee the next annual review of the Council’s Constitution.

Council considered the report of the Head of Law and Governance setting out recommended amendments to the Council’s Constitution to reflect changes to the Council’s arrangements for the governance of its companies and joint ventures and a proposed new whistleblowing policy.

Cllr Brown, the Leader of the Council, introduced the report and proposed the recommendations.

The recommendations were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.    Approve the proposed changes to part 3 and 8 of the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1, and the inclusion of the terms of reference for the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group as an annex to Part 3 and the Scrutiny Committee’s Operating Principles as an annex to Part 8.

2.    Note the revised programme of meetings for the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group shown in Table 1 of the report;

3.    Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to replace the current Whistle Blowing Policy with the new Whistle Blowing Policy in Part 25 of the Constitution, subject to the Audit and Governance Committee approving the new policy;

Note that political groups will be invited to nominate members to form a “Constitution Review Group” to oversee the next annual review of the Council’s Constitution.