Agenda and minutes

The Cabinet decision on : Proposed Allocations from the Budget Support Reserve - Programme Update  (Minute 28) taken by Cabinet on 7^th August 2018 has been requested to be called in by Councillors Caroline Jackson and Roger Mace (Overview and Scrutiny Members) and by Councillors Tim Hamilton-Cox, Dave Brookes and Jon Barry. 

 This request was subsequently agreed by the Chief Executive. The decision has been called-in in accordance with Part 4 Section 5, Paragraph 16 of the Council’s Constitution. 

The relevant Cabinet Members have been invited to attend to outline the basis on which the decision was made. 

Included in the agenda: 

 ·         Call-in Procedure

·         Cabinet minute extract

·         Call-in Notice

·         Report to Cabinet and Appendix

Members were advised that the Cabinet decision in relation to Budget Support Reserve- Proposed Allocations - Cabinet Minute 28, had been called-in by the following 5 Members:

Councillors Caroline Jackson, Roger Mace, Tim Hamilton-Cox, Dave Brookes and Jon Barry. 

Members were informed that the Call-in had been made on the basis that the decision had not been made in accordance with all the principles set out in Article 13 (Decision Making) of the Constitution, in particular :

(d)        Lack of openness

 (f)       Insufficient information about the options that were considered or the reasons             for arriving at the decision. 

The Chairman outlined the procedure to be followed and invited the Councillors who had made the Call-in request to summarise the reasons for the Call-in. Councillor Jackson set out the reasons for the Call-in.

The Chairman invited Councillors Hanson and Whitehead, the Assistant Chief Executive and the Financial Services Manager to explain the reasons for the decision of Cabinet. 

The Chairman invited signatories to the Call-in to ask questions and Councillors Hanson and Whitehead, the Assistant Chief Executive and the Financial Services Manager responded.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members were then invited to ask questions and Councillors Hanson and Whitehead, the Assistant Chief Executive and the Financial Services Manager responded.

The meeting adjourned at 7.30pm and re-convened at 7.40pm

to allow the Call-in signatories to confer.

It was proposed by Councillor Caroline Jackson and seconded by Councillor Roger Mace:-

“(1)      That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommends that Cabinet             considers the list of projects and the way in which the projects are prioritised,             at its next meeting.

(2)        That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee refer to the Constitutional Working             Group the following issues :

(i)            Clarification of what should be referred to Cabinet or Council regarding spending of the City Council’s reserves.

(ii)           Request the Constitutional Working Group to consider additional parameters should be set on the amount Cabinet can spend from the City Council’s Reserves.”

Upon being put to the vote Members voted unanimously in favour whereupon the Chairman declared the proposition carried.

Resolved:

(1)        That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommends that Cabinet             considers the list of projects and the way in which the projects are prioritised,             at its next meeting.

(2)        That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee refer to the Constitutional Working             Group the following issues :

(i)            Clarification of what should be referred to Cabinet or Council regarding spending of the City Council’s reserves.

(ii)           Request the Constitutional Working Group to consider additional parameters should be set on the amount Cabinet can spend from the City Council’s Reserves.