Committee Services - Membership

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Membership
Chair and Depute Chairs

Membership

In proposing the membership of committees, the Council must have regard to the balance of the parties within the Council proposing membership.

A member of a committee retains membership for the duration of the Committee unless:

	he or she intimates his or her resignation to the Council;
	he or she is removed from the committee by the Council on a motion of the committee; or
	he or she ceases to be a Member of the Council, other than where Council is dissolved

A committee member may not be represented at a meeting of that committee by a substitute unless otherwise specified in Standing Orders

The committee cannot begin consideration of any item of business or vote if there are fewer than ¼ of the members present.

Chair and Depute Chairs

The Chair’s role is to convene and chair all meetings of the Committee, and ensure that its procedural requirements are fulfilled. In this they are guided and briefed by the Committee Services Officer. It should be noted that the Chair may vote, and must also exercise a casting vote in the event of a tie.

The Chair of a committee holds office for the duration of the committee unless:

	he or she intimates his or her resignation to the proper officer;
	he or she is removed from office by a decision taken by an absolute majority of the committee; or
	he or she ceases to be a Member of Council, or a member of the committee, other than where the Council is dissolved.

	If a Chair ceases to hold office, the Council will choose a successor from which party the Chair is to be elected.
	Each committee will also have a Depute chair, who is chosen from among the members of that committee.
	The Depute chair will convene and chair meetings of the committee in the absence of the Chair. Where the office of chair is vacant, meetings are convened by the Depute chair and chaired by him or her until a chair is chosen.