FI15047

Request

  1. If a senior position needs to be filled with the Council are these decided (who is to get the position) by the Chief Executive or by elected members or a combination of both?  If elected members participate what form does this take a panel made up of a cross section of members, or for example, only the Leader and/or the Cabinet members?
  2. If a member cannot attend a meeting does the actual member have to send in his/her apologies or can they be sent by a third party?  In other words, is there a strict rule to be followed or is there flexibility and common sense?

Response

  1. Recruitment of Senior Officers is set out in the Council's Constitution, which is published on the Council's website at https://www.dover.gov.uk/Corporate-Information/Constitution.aspx.
  2. The Council's Constitution sets out the arrangements by which meetings are conducted in the Council Procedure Rules. The Council Procedure Rules are silent as to how a Member's apologies should be given although at Council Procedure Rule 4, it does cover what is required for where a substitute Member is to be appointed as a result of a member sending their apologies for absence. As a matter of practice, Democratic Services will accept notification of an apology, where no substitute Member is to be appointed, by either the Member who is sending their apologies or an appropriate third party, usually another member of their political group. It is expected that the apologies will be provided prior to or during the meeting for which they are unable to attend. Where no apology is received, a Member will usually be recorded as absent for the purposes of the attendance information set out on the website.