Further to Minute No. 333 of the Cabinet meeting held on 15 April 2010, the Council considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive seeking approval to the implementation of a Petitions Scheme as required by Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED: That
(1) the Petition Scheme attached at Appendix 1 of the report be approved for implementation; and
(2) consequential amendments be made to the Council Constitution to ensure consistency with the petitions scheme.
The Cabinet considered a report on the statutory guidance on the duty implemented under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 to respond to petitions and the proposed timetable for the implementation of this requirement by the deadline of 15 June 2010.
RESOLVED: That
(1) the new statutory duty to respond to petitions be noted;
(2) the Chief Executive, in consultation with the political group leaders, be authorised to submit a petitions scheme to the Council meeting on 13 May 2010 for implementation by 15 June 2010;
(3) consequential amendments to the Council’s Constitution be submitted to the Council meeting on 13 May 2010 for consideration;
(4) a further report on the implementation of e-petitions by 15 December 2010 be brought to a future meeting of the Cabinet; and
(5) it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but, unfortunately, had not been included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions. Consequently, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Performance and Corporate Services) had been consulted under Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because the guidance published by the Government on 30 March 2010 requires a petition scheme to be submitted to and approved by the Council and for the scheme to be in place by 15 June 2010.