The General Services Committee convened to discuss the government's response to remote attendance and proxy voting, and to review the council's constitution concerning the Executive and Council. The committee agreed to recommend amended rules regarding decision-making, council procedure, and the roles of the Leader and Cabinet to the Full Council for approval.

Constitution Review: Executive & Council

The committee agreed to recommend amended rules in the appendices of the GSC Report GSC 230925 - Executive and Council Constitution Review to the Full Council for approval and incorporation into the Council's Constitution. These include re-drafted sections of the proposed new Part 2 of the constitution, covering:

• How decisions are made (2.1)
• Full Council Introduction (2.2)
• Council Procedure Rules (2.2A)
• Executive (Leader & Cabinet) and Executive Procedure Rules (2.3)

The council is required to have a constitution under s.9P of the Local Government Act 2000, which, according to the GSC Report GSC 230925 - Executive and Council Constitution Review, codifies:

• who makes council decisions
• how those decisions are made
• the checks and balances on decision making
• the council's governance and ethical framework

According to the GSC Report GSC 230925 - Executive and Council Constitution Review, the proposed amendments consciously seek to enhance the constitutional and public focus on the Cabinet and the opportunities for public and member involvement and engagement with Cabinet decisions and meetings when they are making decisions.

The report also noted that the proposals include provision for the establishment of area committees in the borough, which are geographically based committees of councillors and can be delegated executive powers including budgets to be spent in the committee's area.

Government Response to Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting Consultation

The committee reviewed the government's response to the consultation on remote attendance and proxy voting, as detailed in the Government Response to Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting Consultation. The key themes of the minister's introduction are:

• Ensuring that local authorities can develop their own remote and hybrid attendance policies, with local knowledge, and to respond to local need.
• When elected members cannot attend even remotely, an aim for proxy voting schemes to provide local authorities and members with additional support.
• To collaboratively develop guidance with the sector on both policies, to ensure that local authority schemes are supportive of members and officers.

The government's view following the consultation is that in-person authority meetings remain vital for local democracy, but that hybrid and remote attendance, and proxy voting, will enable local authorities in England to develop more modern, accessible, and flexible working practices. The government plans to:

• Legislate to support permanent provision in relation to both policies, when parliamentary time allows.
• Plan to permit local authorities to develop their own locally appropriate policies, if they decide to hold remote meetings.
• On proxy voting, plan to require principal (unitary, upper and second-tier) councils to implement proxy voting schemes, to provide consistency for members who are absent when they become a new parent, or for serious or long-term illness.
• Plan to work collaboratively with the sector to develop clear and supportive guidance in relation to both remote attendance and proxy voting policies.