Report on Special Urgency and Call-in Exemption decisions under Access to Information Procedure Rule 16 and Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To provide the Council with a report on the use of the special urgency and call-in exemption procedures under Access to Information Procedure Rule 16 and Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16 in respect of decisions taken since the Council’s last meeting.

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 The Council’s Constitution provides that if a matter which is likely to be a key decision has not been included on the Council’s Forward Plan for the requisite period, the decision may still be taken if an urgency procedure is followed.

2.2 The Access to Information Procedure Rules in the Constitution set out two urgency procedures, depending on the time available before the decision needs to be taken: the Rule 15 General Exception Urgency procedure and the Rule 16 Special Urgency procedure for use in more urgent cases. Use of the latter procedure is required to be reported back to full Council.

2.3 The Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules in the Constitution set out a call-in exemption process at Rule 16, use of which is also reported back to Council.

3.0 SPECIAL URGENCY AND CALL IN EXEMPTION PROCEDURES

3.1 Under Access to Information Procedure Rule 16:

16.1 Where the date by which a decision must be made makes compliance with Rule 15 (general exception) impracticable, then the decision can only be made if the decision maker (if an individual) or the Chair of the body making the decision, obtains the written agreement of the Chair of a relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the making of the decision is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred. If there is no Chair of a relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee, or if the Chair of the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee is unable to act, then the agreement of the Chair of the Council, or in their absence the Vice-Chair will suffice.

16.2 As soon as reasonably practicable after the decision maker has obtained agreement under Rule 16.1 above, they must make available at the Council’s offices a notice setting out the reasons why the meeting is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred and publish the notice on the Council’s website.

3.2 Access to Information Procedure Rule 17 then includes provision for the reporting back to full Council on the use of the Rule 16 special urgency procedure:

17.3 Reports on special urgency decisions

17.3.1 The Leader will submit to the next meeting of the Council, a report on any executive decisions taken in the circumstances set out in Rule 16 (special urgency). The report must include particulars of the decision, a summary of the matters in respect of which the decision was made, the reasons for it and the reasons for use of the special urgency procedure.

17.3.2 The Leader must submit at least one report under 17.3.1 annually to Council.

3.3 Under Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16(h):

(h) The call-in procedure set out above shall not apply where the decision being taken by the Executive is urgent. A decision will be urgent if any delay likely to be caused by the call in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public interest. The Chair of the Council must agree both that the decision proposed is reasonable in all the circumstances and to it being treated as a matter of urgency. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair’s consent shall be required. In the absence of both, the Head of Paid Service or their nominee’s consent shall be required. Decisions taken as a matter of urgency must be reported to the next available meeting of the Council, together with the reasons for urgency.

3.4 This report therefore provides the report back to full Council on the use of the special urgency and call-in exemption procedures since the last meeting of full Council on 19 July. Rule 15 (General Urgency) notices have also been referenced where they also include call in exemption.

4.0 USE OF SPECIAL URGENCY AND CALL IN EXEMPTION PROCEDURES

4.1 At the time of writing this report, the use of special urgency and call-in exemption procedures in relation to decisions taken since the last meeting of full Council on 21 February 2024, is as summarised below. Full details of the decisions taken under the procedures and the reasons for them along with the reasons for using the special urgency and/or call in exemption procedures can be accessed via the hyperlinks.

Contract Extension for Hard Facilities Management Mechanical Equipment and Plant: Servicing and Responsive Maintenance