(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

To receive disclosures of personal and prejudicial interests from members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

Notes:

(1)          In relation to Agenda Item 7A concerning the approval of the Council’s Budget and setting the level of Council Tax and Business Rates for  2017/18 Members will be asked to approve the following recommendations contained in the report of the City Solicitor/Monitoring Officer (Document “U”) on the granting of dispensations to all Members who have certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests as defined in the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 and as listed in the Appendix A to the report:

            That Council:

            1.         Grants a dispensation to the Members of the Authority who have requested one, to enable them to participate in full in the decision to approve the budgets for 2017/18 and 2018/19 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2017/18 and 2018/19 .

            2.         Approves the dispensation for a period of 2 years until 23 February 2018.

 3.      Notes the Monitoring Officer’s advice that personal interests that may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest shall not prevent Members from speaking and voting at the Budget meetings.

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity (as listed in Appendix B to the report). Any other interests may be disclosed prior to, or at, the meeting.

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

The report of the City Solicitor/Monitoring Officer (Document “U”) considered the granting of dispensations to all Members who had certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests as defined in the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 for approving the budget and setting the Council Tax and Business Rates. Members had also disclosed interests which were not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they considered should be made in the interests of clarity.

The lists attached as appendices A and B to the report had been updated with further notifications by Members on their declarations. It was,

Resolved –

That Council:

(1)       Grants a dispensation to the Members of the Authority who have requested one, to enable them to participate in full in the decision to approve the budgets for 2017/18 and 2018/19 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2017/18 and 2018/19.

(2)       Approves the dispensation for a period of 2 years until 23 February 2018.

(3)      Notes the Monitoring Officer’s advice that personal interests that may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest shall not prevent Members from speaking and voting at the Budget meetings.

Dispensations under the Localism Act 2011 for the declaration of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests were given to the following Members to enable them to speak and vote on the Budget 2017/18 and 2018/19:

Employment – Councillors Amran, Berry, Brown, Dunbar, Hawarun Hussain, Lal, Peart, Ross-Shaw, Sajawal, Tait and Thornton.

Sponsorship - Councillors Davies, Dodds, Engel, Farley, Fear, Gibbons, Griffiths, Green, Tariq Hussain, Iqbal, Jabar, Johnson, I Khan, Love, Miller, Mullaney, Pennington, N Pollard, Poulsen, Pullen, Reid, Ross-Shaw, Sharp, M Slater, Stelling, Stubbs, J Sunderland, R Sunderland, Swallow, Tait, Thornton and Wainwright.

Contracts – Councillors Naylor, Salam, Shafiq, Sharp and D Smith.

Land – R Ahmed, Morris, Ross-Shaw, D Smith and Tait.

Licences - Bacon, Hinchcliffe, B M Smith, D Smith and J Sunderland.

The following personal declarations were received:

Members with a spouse, partner or close relative in the employment of the Council

Councillors A Ahmed, Akhtar, Amran, Brown, Dodds, Ellis, Greenwood, Hawkesworth, Hawarun Hussain, Iqbal, Imran Khan, Lal, Love, Morris, Mullaney, Pennington, Riaz, Ross-Shaw, Salam, Shabbir, Shafiq, M Slater, V Slater, Swallow, Tait, Thornton, Townend and Ward

Members employed by or who have a spouse, partner or close relative employed by a voluntary organisation/public body funded by the Council

Councillors Brown, Hawarun Hussain, Imran Khan,Lal, Mullaney, Shabbir, Shaheen, Sharp and Thirkill

Members who occupied land or who had a spouse, partner, relative or were directors of companies or sat on the management committee of an organisation that occupied land under a lease or licence granted by the Council

Councillors Brown, Heseltine, Hinchcliffe, Hawarun Hussain, Jamil, Imran Khan, Love, Mullaney, N Pollard, Reid, Ross-Shaw, B M Smith, D Smith, Stelling, J Sunderland, R Sunderland and Warnes

Members of other public authorities

Adoption Panel – Councillor Duffy

Airedale Drainage Board Commissioners - Councillors Ellis and Rickard

Airedale Partnership – Councillors Cooke and Ross-Shaw

Association  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2017 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Adrian Tumber – 01274 432435)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2017 be signed as a correct record. 

ACTION:       City Solicitor

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Carmody, P Cromie, Imran Hussain and Ikram.

DEATH OF SIR KENNETH D MORRISON, CBE

It was with great sadness that it was learnt on 1 February 2017, of the death of Sir Ken Morrison, CBE, at the age of 85. 

Sir Ken was longtime Chairman (and latterly Life President) of the Bradford-based supermarket chain Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc and was made an Honorary Freeman of the City in 2010. The Lord Mayor had written to Lady Morrison and her family to express sincere condolences and to offer thoughts and prayers for their loss. A Book of Condolence had been opened in Sir Ken’s memory and it was available to sign for any expressions of sympathy.

DEATH OF FORMER COUNCILLOR DERYK CONQUEST

It was with sorrow that the Lord Mayor reported to Council the death at the age of 93, on 13 January 2017, of former Councillor Deryk Booth Conquest.  He served the Wards of Denholme, Cullingworth, Bingley South and Wilsden from 1979 to 1980 and Bingley Rural from 1980 to 1991. The Deputy Lord Mayor attended Deryk’s funeral service and the Lord Mayor wrote to Deryk’s widow to convey sympathy at this sad time.

Members observed a short period of silence in memory of Sir Ken Morrison and former Councillor Deryk Conquest.

INNCHURCHES COLLECTION AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING

At the meeting of Council on 21 March 2017 there would be a collection to help the people who have been supported by InnChurches in getting off the streets into accommodation.

THE LONDON MARATHON – LORD MAYOR’S APPEAL

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Alun Griffiths) would be running in the London Marathon in April to raise funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal (YoungMinds) supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Gratitude was expressed for any sponsorship Members were able to give.

COUNCILLOR SINEAD ENGEL

The Lord Mayor welcomed Councillor Sinead Engel to the meeting who was in attendance with her child having recently given birth.

There were no restricted documents.

Resolved –

That Councillor Wainwright be appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Regulatory and Appeals Committee.

ACTION:       City Solicitor

The Executive at its meeting on 21 February 2017 will make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19.

The following reports are submitted:

Previous reference:  Executive, Minutes 97 to 104 (2016/2017)

The Executive met on 7 and 21 February 2017 to make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19.  The following reports were submitted:

(i)         The Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2017/18 and 2018/19

The report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services provided details of the Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2017/18 and 2018/19 (Document “W”).

.              

(ii)        Allocation of the Schools’ Budget 2017/18 Financial Year

The report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services presents and sought approval of the recommendations of the Schools Forum in allocating the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2017/18 (Executive Document “BH”).

(iii)       The Council’s Capital Investment Plan for 2017/18-2020/21

The report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services proposes the programme of capital expenditure for 2017/18 onwards (Executive Document “BI”).

(iv)       Section 151 Officer’s Assessment

This report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services set out the S151 Officer’s assessment of the risks related to the proposed budget for the financial year 2017/18 and the adequacy of the available mitigations in the context of the forecast reserves (Document “X”).

 (v)       Consultation Feedback and Equality Assessments for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 Council budget proposals 

The report of the Assistant Director, Office of the Chief Executive, appendices and addenda provided feedback from the public engagement and consultation programme and set out a summary of the equality assessments carried out on the Executive’s Budget proposals for 2017/18 and 2018/19 (Executive Document “BA”). There was particular reference to the Council’s responsibilities under Equality legislation to enable the Council to have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty when considering the Executive’s recommendations to Council on a budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19

(vi)       Interim Trade Union Feedback on the Executive’s Budget Proposals for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 Council Budget

The report of the Director of Human Resources, appendices and addenda provided interim feedback from the Council’s Trade Unions on the Executive’s budget proposals for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 Council budget (Executive Document “BB”)

.

An amendment to the Executive’s recommendations was moved by Councillor Cooke The S151 Officer provided an assessment of the amendment contained in Document “Y”. The amendment was defeated.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 a recorded vote was taken on Councillor Cooke’s amendment and the Council voted as follows: 

For the Amendment (21)

Against the Amendment (62)

On the 24 January 2017 the Governance and Audit Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services (Governance and Audit Committee Document “Z”)giving the options available for the appointment of the Council’s external auditor from the 1 April 2018. It was explained that there are three options that the Council could adopt and the report presented the Governance and Audit Committee with the advantages and disadvantages of each option and asked the Committee to make a recommendation to Council on the preferred option. In Document “V” it is,

Recommended -

(1)  The Council accepts Public Sector Audit Appointments’ (PSAA) invitation to ‘opt in’ to the sector led option for the appointment of external auditors for five financial years commencing 1 April 2018. 

(2)  That the PSAA be requested to see if they could arrange a regional appointment if possible through their procurement. 

                                                                        (Mark St Romaine – 01274 432888)

On the 24 January 2017 the Governance and Audit Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director Corporate Services (Governance and Audit Committee Document “Z”)giving the options available for the appointment of the Council’s external auditor from the 1 April 2018. The Committee was asked to make a recommendation to Council on the preferred option. In Document “V” it was explained that there were three options that the Council could adopt and the report presented the advantages and disadvantages of each option. It was,

Resolved-

(1)       The Council accepts Public Sector Audit Appointments’ (PSAA) invitation to ‘opt in’ to the sector led option for the appointment of external auditors for five financial years commencing 1 April 2018.

(2)       That the PSAA be requested to see if they could arrange a regional appointment if possible through their procurement.

ACTION:       Strategic Director Corporate Services