STANDING ORDERS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE BUSINESS OF THE LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE AUTHORITY

MEETINGS OF THE AUTHORITY

The Authority shall hold an Annual meeting between 1st March and 30th June each year. The first item of business on the agenda for the annual meeting shall be the appointment of Chairman for the ensuing year. The date, time and place of meetings shall be determined by the Authority, but may be varied by the Chairman.
ORDER OF BUSINESS

Business shall be taken in the order it appears on the summons for the meeting except that the order may be varied by the Chairman of the meeting or by resolution of the Authority.
QUORUM
1. The quorum prescribed by statute for meetings of the Authority is at least one quarter of the whole number of members.
2. If during any meeting of the Authority the number of members present falls below five the meeting shall stand adjourned. The consideration of any business not transacted shall be adjourned to a time fixed by the Chairman at the time the meeting is adjourned, or, if he does not fix a time, to the next meeting of the Authority.
3. The quorum of every Committee shall be at least one quarter of the whole number of the Committee, provided that in no case shall a quorum of a Committee be less than three members.
MINUTES OF THE AUTHORITY

Where the next meeting of the Authority is an extraordinary or special meeting, the next following meeting shall be treated as a suitable meeting for the purposes of signing of minutes.
NOTICES OF MOTION
1. Notice of motions, other than procedural motions referred to in Standing Order 9 shall be communicated to the Clerk in writing and must be received not later than noon on the seventh working day before the meeting. Details of the motion shall be included with the agenda for the meeting.
2. No motion shall be put unless it relates to some question over which the Authority has power or which affects the Police Authority.
MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS GENERALLY
1. A motion or amendment shall not be discussed unless it has been proposed and seconded, and it shall, if required by the Chairman, be put into writing and handed to the Chairman before it is further discussed or put to the meeting.
2. A member may not propose or second a motion or amendment on which he is disqualified from voting.
MOTIONS AFFECTING PERSONS EMPLOYED BY THE AUTHORITY AND OTHER EXEMPT INFORMATION

If any question arises where it is considered that 'exempt information' as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 is likely to be disclosed, such question shall not be discussed until a motion, moved by the Chairman, to exclude the public and press under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 has been determined.
CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
1. If any member in the opinion of the Chairman signified to the Authority, misconduct himself by persistently disregarding the ruling of the Chair, or by behaving irregularly, improperly, or offensively, or by wilfully obstructing the business of the Authority, or by tedious repetition or unbecoming language in his speech, the Chairman or any other member may move "That the member named be not further heard" and such motion if seconded shall be put and determined without discussion.
2. If the member named continues his misconduct after a motion under the last previous paragraph has been carried, the Chairman shall either:
  1. move, "That the member named do leave the meeting" (in which case the motion shall be put and determined without discussion); or
  2. adjourn or suspend the meeting of the Authority for such period as he in his discretion shall consider expedient.
3. If any member of the public interrupts a meeting the Chairman shall warn them and if the interruption continues shall order their removal from the meeting. In the case of a general discussion by the public that part of the room open to the public shall be cleared.
PROCEDURAL MOTIONS WHICH MAY BE MOVED WITHOUT NOTICE
1. Appointment of a Chairman of the meeting.
2. Motions relating to the accuracy of the minutes of the previous meeting, the closure, postponement of consideration of any matter, adjournment of the meeting or the debate.
3. Motion under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public and press on the grounds that exempt information is likely to be disclosed.
4. Reception of minutes and adoption of recommendations of Committees.
5. An amendment to a recommendation of a Committee.
6. Variation of the order of business.
7. Suspending Standing Orders.
8. That a member named under Standing Order 8 be not further heard or do leave the meeting.
9. A closure motion, i.e. "That the question be now put".
  
  (If such a motion is moved and seconded, the Chairman shall proceed as follows. If he is of the opinion that the matter before the meeting has been insufficiently discussed, he may refuse to accept the motion. If the motion is accepted, it shall be put to the vote forthwith and without debate. If carried, the Chairman shall permit the mover of any motion or amendment the right of reply and the motion, the subject of debate, shall then be put to the vote).
RULES OF DEBATE
1. A motion or amendment shall not be discussed until it has been seconded.
2. When a motion is under debate no other motion or amendment shall be moved except one of the Procedural Motions specified in Standing Order 9.
3. The Chairman shall control the order of speeches.
4. While a member is speaking, other members shall sit and not interrupt, unless rising on a point of order or in personal explanation. The Chairman's ruling on a point of order or the admissibility of a personal explanation shall not be open to discussion.
5. A member shall direct his speech to the question under discussion, a personal explanation or a point of order.
6. All other procedural matters shall be determined by the Chairman.
VOTING ON APPOINTMENT

Where three or more persons are nominated for any position and there is not a majority in favour of one person, the person having the least number of votes shall be disregarded and a fresh vote taken and so on until there is a majority in favour of one person.
APPOINTMENT TO COMMITTEES

Appointments to Committees of the Authority shall be made at the annual meeting of the Authority.
ATTENDANCE OF OTHER MEMBERS AT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
1. Any member may attend any Committee and may speak (but not vote) with the consent of the Chairman of the meeting on any particular matter.
2. The Clerk shall make appropriate arrangements for informing members of the business coming before Committees.
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
1. Unless appointed by the Authority every Committee shall at its first meeting after the annual meeting of the Authority before proceeding to any other business elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the year in whose absence from a meeting a Chairman for that meeting may be appointed.
2. Wherever a Chairman or Vice-Chairman shall cease to hold office, the vacancy may be filled at any subsequent meeting of the Committee.
VOTING
1. A proposition shall be determined by a simple majority of those present EXCEPT decisions on precept where there must be not only a majority of the total membership but also a majority of Councillor members.
2. Every proposition shall, unless otherwise required by these Standing Orders or Statute, be determined by show of hands or, at the discretion of the Chairman, by voices.
3. Where immediately after a vote is taken any member so requires, there shall be recorded in the minutes of that meeting whether that member cast his vote for or against the proposition or whether he abstained from voting.
INTERESTS IN CONTRACTS AND OTHER MATTERS
1. If any member of the Authority has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, within the meaning of Section 94 of the Local Government Act 1972 (other than an indirect interest described in Section 97 (6) thereof) in any contract, proposed contract, or other matter, that member shall withdraw from the meeting while the contract, proposed contract, or other matter, is under consideration by the Authority unless:
  1. the disability to discuss that matter imposed upon him by the Section has been removed by the Secretary of State under Section 97 (1) of the Act; or
  2. there is no discussion on the contract or matter.
2. Councillor members of the Authority are required to observe the provisions of the National Code of Local Government Conduct issued by the Secretary of State under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in relation to disclosure of private or personal non-pecuniary interests. All members of the Authority are required by this Standing Order to observe those provisions.
CANVASSING OF AND RECOMMENDATION BY MEMBERS
1. Canvassing of members of the Authority, or any Committee of the Authority, directly or indirectly for any appointment under the Authority or as a police officer, shall disqualify the candidate concerned for that appointment. The purpose of this paragraph of this Standing Order shall be included in any form of application.
2. A member of the Authority shall not solicit for any person any appointment under the Authority or as a police officer, but this shall not preclude a member from giving a written testimonial of a candidate's ability, experience, or character for submission to the Authority or the Chief Constable with or in connection with an application for appointment.
RELATIVES OF MEMBERS OR EMPLOYEES

A candidate for any appointment under the Authority who knows that he is related to any member or employee of the Authority shall disclose that relationship in his application. A candidate who fails to disclose such a relationship shall be liable to be disqualified for the appointment and if appointed shall be liable to dismissal without notice.
SEALING OF DOCUMENTS
1. The common seal of the Authority shall not be affixed to any document unless the sealing has been authorised by the Authority (or of a Committee to which the Authority has delegated its powers in this behalf), but a resolution of the Authority (or of a Committee where that Committee has the power) authorising the acceptance of any tender, the purchase, sale, letting, or taking of any property, the issue of any stock, the presentation of any petition, memorial or address, the making of any contract, issuing a precept, or the doing of any other thing, shall be sufficient authority for sealing any document necessary to give effect to the authorisation.
2. The seal shall be affixed to and the document signed by the Clerk or other person duly authorised in writing by him and an entry of every sealing of a document shall be made and consecutively numbered in a book kept for the purpose and shall be signed by the person who has affixed the seal.
MEETING OF COMMITTEES
1. The Chairman of a Committee or the Chairman of the Authority may cause a special meeting of the Committee to be called at any time.
2. All meetings of Committees shall be serviced by the Clerk who shall, except in cases of urgency, send the summons to each member at least three clear days before the meeting.
3. Not less than a quarter of the members of a Committee may call a special meeting by notice in writing signed by them and given to the Clerk and specifying the business for which the meeting is to be called. No other business may be considered.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
1. Subject to paragraph (b) of this Standing Order, any of the preceding Standing Orders may be suspended so far as regards any business at the meeting where its suspension is moved.
2. A motion to suspend any of the preceding Standing Orders shall not be moved unless there shall be present at least one half of the whole number of the members of the Authority or a Committee.
INTERPRETATION OF STANDING ORDERS

The ruling of the Chairman as to the construction or application of any of these Standing Orders, or as to any proceedings of the Authority, shall be final.

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STANDING ORDERS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE BUSINESS OF THE LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE AUTHORITY

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