Agenda item

The Mayor advised that as this meeting had been designated as the Council’s formal budget and Council Tax setting meeting, he would be inviting Councillor Dixon (as the Majority Group Chief Whip) to move a procedural motion, in accordance with Standing Orders, relating to the conduct of the debate on the budget report. Councillor Dixon then proceeded to the move the procedural motion.

Prior to being put to the vote, Councillor Lorber (as Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group) spoke to highlight his objection to the proposed timing for the length of his speech in response to the Leader having moved the budget proposals, during the budget debate.  As a result of the concerns expressed, he therefore moved an amendment to the proposed timings outlined within the procedural motion designed to provide the Leaders of all Opposition Groups with up to 10 minutes each to speak when responding to the budget and moving their alternative proposals.

Given there was no provision for debate on procedural motions, the Mayor advised that he would put the amendment followed by the substantive motion straight to the vote without further discussion.

On this basis, the amendment moved by Councillor Lorder to the procedural motion on the arrangements for the budget debate was put to the vote and declared LOST.

The Mayor then moved on to put the substantive (unamended) procedural motion to the vote which was declared CARRIED.  It was therefore RESOLVED (with all Liberal Democrats & Green members voting against and Conservative members abstaining) that the following procedural motion be agreed:

(1)       That the Leader of the Council be permitted to speak for up to 20 minutes in presenting the report to the meeting and setting out the Cabinet’s proposals for the budget, after which, the following arrangements be agreed for the purpose of debating and voting upon the Budget and Council Tax:

(a)       The Leader of the Conservative Group as the Principal Opposition Group (or their nominated representative) be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes in response to the Leader and in order to move their alternative budget proposals.

(b)    The Leader of the Green Group (or their nominated representative) be permitted to speak in response to the Leader and in order to move their alternative budget proposals for up to 5 minutes.

(c)    The Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group (or their nominated representative) be permitted to speak in response to the Leader and in order to move their alternative budget proposals for up to 5 minutes.

(d)    The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources be permitted to speak on the budget proposals for up to 10 minutes.

(e)    The Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group be permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes in order to present the Task Group findings and key recommendations;

(f)     A general debate follow during which the usual rules for debate will apply as set out in Standing Orders (save as set out in this procedural motion);

(2)       At the end of the general debate, the Leader of the Council be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes to submit his closing remarks.

(3)    Following the close of the debate, recorded votes on any amendments to the budget proposals and then the final substantive budget proposals be taken in turn with the recommendations each taken as one block for voting purposes.