APPENDIX 1

Overview and Scrutiny Substitutions Protocol

1. The Council, when establishing appointments to committees and panels on an annual basis and at any subsequent review, will appoint substitute members to the three Overview and Scrutiny Panels, on the nomination of the political group leaders.

2. The number of substitute members permitted shall be up to two (2), for each political group or grouping that has at least one seat on the Panel concerned.

3. On appointment, it shall be the responsibility of a substitute member to keep up to date with the business of the Panel to which they have been appointed, to support effective decision making.  The substitute members will be named on the agenda and notice of meeting, and will receive an electronic copy of the agenda and reports for all meetings.

4. Cabinet members may not be named substitute members for Overview and Scrutiny Panels.

5. To implement this protocol, it shall be the responsibility of the member who cannot attend the relevant meeting to arrange for an appointed substitute to attend, and inform their group leader of the proposed substitution and the date of the meeting.

6. On receipt of this information, the Group Leader (or the Deputy Group Leader if applicable) must finalise the arrangements by writing to Democratic Services to authorise the appointment(s).

7. Only the appointed substitute members may serve as a member of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel to which the substitution is sought.

8. A Member who is acting as a substitute for the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Panel, will not, by virtue of their substitution, be automatically entitled to act in that capacity.

9. A substitute Member may only serve as a Member at any meeting at which the appointer has nominated them, and where the appointer intends to be absent for the duration of the meeting.  A substitute may not be appointed for specific items and no substitution may be made during the course of the meeting.

10. Notice of substitutions from the Group Leader (or Deputy) to Democratic Services must be received in writing by no later than one hour before the commencement of the meeting in question, to democratic@nfdc.gov.uk, ensuring that all relevant Council officers may implement the substitution up to this deadline.

11. At the commencement of a meeting, the Chairman shall inform the meeting of any substitutions when ‘apologies’ are announced.

12. If the Member who could not attend, attends after arranging for a substitute member to attend, the substitute member shall continue as the voting Member of the Panel, as authorised by the Group Leader.

13. Any Member attending as the appointed substitute shall be entitled to travelling and subsistence allowances in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Members’ Allowances.

14. When a Member attends a meeting as a substitute, the minutes will identify that they attended as a substitute member, and for whom they were substituting.

15. The substitute member shall be entitled to speak and vote in their own capacity and is not constrained by the views of the member for whom they are substitute.