Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

(a)      The fire alarm is a continuous loud ringing. In the event that a fire drill is planned during the meeting, the Chair will advise of this.

(b)      Exit routes from the chamber are located on each side of the room, one directly to a fire escape, the other to the stairs opposite the lifts.

(c)      In the event of the alarm sounding, leave the building via the nearest safe exit and gather at the assembly point on the far side of the car park. Do not leave the assembly point or re-enter the building until advised to do so. Do not use the lifts.

(d)      Anyone unable to use the stairs should make themselves known during this agenda item.

The Chair outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

No interests were declared.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2022 (Minute Nos. 326 -330) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 September 2022 (Minute Nos. 326 – 330) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The Chief Executive introduced the report which set out the draft social media policy for Councillors and asked for Members comments on the draft policy before it went out for consultation.

The Chair invited Members to ask questions and make comments. Points made included:

·         It was good to see a policy on social media come forward as it was something Councillors needed;

·         thought that the document needed clarification on whether or not it linked to the Councillor Code of Conduct;

·         every Councillor needed to see the policy and have an opportunity to comment on it;

·         thought that the document wording needed to be changed from ‘Council’ to ‘Councillors’;

·         members needed to be responsible for their own social media account if it was hacked;

·         thought that a section on ‘what to do if your account was hacked’ would be helpful for Members;

·         would be helpful if the document clarified Members and officers relationships on social media accounts;

·         some Members were apart of a wider social media group and could not help it if officers were also a part of that group; and

·         what were the timescales for adoption of the policy?

In response, the Chief Executive explained that the planned timescale was for the policy to go out to consultation to all Members on 2 February 2023, for 28 days. Once the responses from the consultation had been collected, she hoped to have the new policy drafted in time for the Full Council meeting in April 2023.

Resolved:

(1)          That the draft policy be noted.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer provided Members with an update on the Member Officer Protocol and advised that he hoped a consultation document would be circulated to Members within the next few months.

Resolved:

(1)          That the update be noted.