Review of standing orders

Report: 8
Date: 19 May 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

The Authority’s current Standing Orders have been in place since the MPA came into existence in 2000. They have now been reviewed in the light of experience, to correct some omissions and clarify some grey areas.

A. Recommendation

1. That the Standards Committee considers the proposed new Standing Orders and passes any comments on these to the Co-ordination & Policing Committee.
2. That the Co-ordination & Policing Committee recommends these new Standing Orders to the full Authority, subject to any amendments proposed as a result of the two committees’ deliberations.

B. Supporting information

1. The current procedural Standing Orders were agreed when the Authority came into existence in July 2000. They have remained largely unchanged since then, although with some additions, for instance in relation to the appointment of co-opted members, and provision for members to ask questions at full Authority meetings.

2. Since 2000, some other elements of the regulatory framework have been updated and reviewed, namely:

• the Committee Terms of Reference (to reflect the new committee structure introduced in 2002)
• the Members’ Code of Conduct (to meet the requirements of the Government’s new ethical framework)
• the Financial Regulations
• the MPA anti-fraud and corruption policy

3. A review of the procedural Standing Orders has now been carried out. Various changes are proposed in the light of experience, to address some gaps in the current Standing Orders and to clarify some grey areas. The proposed Standing Orders are attached as Appendix A. All the current provisions are included, although wording and order may have been changed to make them, hopefully, more accessible. Proposed additions to Standing Orders are shown in italics. Any explanatory comments are contained in square brackets.

4. For the most part these changes should not be controversial in that they either reflect legal requirements or are provisions that are commonly found in Standing Orders. However, the following are the main changes which members should be aware of:

• S.O. 2.7 ‘Questions from the public at full Authority meetings’: it is proposed to include discretion for the Clerk to refuse to accept a question, in discussion with the Chair. Some of the grounds for refusal are set out in the Standing Order.
• S.O. 6.1 ‘Urgency Powers’: these have been changed from the existing S.O. 11. It is proposed:
  • To remove reference to the Commissioner being able to take urgent decisions which would normally be taken by the Authority. This power should be limited to the Authority’s officers, namely the Clerk and Treasurer
  • To specify that the Clerk / Treasurer should consult with the Chair of a committee (rather than the Chair of the Authority) when the decision concerns a matter delegated to that committee
  • That the Clerk / Treasurer may consult with the Deputy Chair of the Authority or relevant committee in the absence of the Chair

5. The remaining elements of the regulatory framework – the Scheme of Delegation to the Officers and the Contract Regulations – are also being reviewed and will be reported to the Authority for approval, via the Finance Committee and the Co-ordination & Policing Committee, shortly.

C. Equality and diversity implications

There are no significant equalities issues related to the changes proposed to Standing Orders.

D. Financial implications

None

D. Background papers

• Current Standing Orders

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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