Agenda

Members: 8 Councillors (4:2:1 Ind Gp, 1 Min Gp)  

Quorum - 3 

Chair: C.W. Horncastle 

Vice Chair: H.G.H. Sanderson 

Terms of Reference 

(1)     To function under emergency legislation and to deal with such matters concerning the Council’s civil contingencies functions as may be referred to them by the Council.

(2)     To reconvene when called upon either before, during or after a significant incident or emergency whereby the County Council may be required to respond beyond its normal day to day capabilities.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting;

a.    Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

b.    Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

c.    Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

d.    Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

e.    Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter

To receive an update on progress about the Community Resilience workstream prior to the winter and in line with the recommendations from the Storm Arwen Review Task and Finish Group.  A copy of the report submitted to the Communities and Place OSC on 5 October 2022 is provided for Members’ information.  Helen Hinds, Business Resilience and Emergency Planning Lead, will provide a verbal update at the meeting.

A training session will take place following the meeting to explore the role of the County Emergency Committee as part of the response to FloodEx 22, a national exercise based on an east coast flooding scenario taking place the same day.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

It is expected that matters included in this part of the Agenda will be dealt with in private.  Reports referred to are enclosed for members and officers only, coloured pink and marked "Not for Publication".

The Committee is invited to consider passing the following resolution:

(a)     That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the Agenda as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act, and

(b)     That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the following reasons:-

Agenda Item              Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A

8                                    3 - Information relating to (the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the interest in disclosure because of the importance of ensuring that the Council is able to make use of commercially sensitive information shared by care providers, and because of the need to ensure that the fairness of the forthcoming procurement process is not compromised.

Minutes of the meeting of the 24 September 2020, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record, and signed by the Chairman.