Apologies for Absence and Named Substitutes
Minutes:
The Chairman advised the Board that he had agreed not to put Members name plates out for this meeting as a Member had requested a return to coloured name plates as used at other committee meetings.
Members were reminded that in June 2015 the Board had agreed to use white names plates and sit in alphabetical order at future meetings and this had also been noted in the Board’s Annual Report to full Council. The Chairman stated that it was the Board’s responsibility to determine their own administrative arrangements.
It was suggested that, for clarity, the Board consider these arrangements again, in order for current Members to put forward their views. The Chairman suggested the following options for the Board to consider:
1. To continue to use white nameplates, with Members seated in alphabetical order;
2. To be a matter for individual Member choice as to whether each Member wished to have a coloured or white name plate; or
3. To adopt the same arrangements as Full Council, so for all Members to have coloured nameplates.
Members discussed whether the use of white or coloured name plates would be appropriate for the Overview and Scrutiny Board. Members felt that as the Overview and Scrutiny Board should be seen as not being party political, it was proposed that the Board continued to display white name plates with Members seated in alphabetical order.
The Chairman and the Senior Democratic Services Officer (Bromsgrove) advised that if Members chose not to adhere to these arrangements, then the matter would be referred to the relevant Group Leader.
The proposal was put to the vote and Members unanimously agreed to continue using white names plates and in alphabetical seating order for all future meetings of the Board. Members were in agreement that this approach had worked well at previous meetings and there was no reason why it should not continue.
RESOLVED that the use of white names plates and an alphabetical seating order be adopted at future meetings of the Board.
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor M. Glass and M. Thompson.