Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board

Standing Orders

For the Regulation of Proceedings and Business of Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board.

IMAGE: The cover displays the coats of arms of Orkney and Shetland above the title “Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board”, followed by “Standing Orders” and “For the Regulation of Proceedings and Business of Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board”.

Contents

• Standing Orders
• Section 1 – Preliminary Matters
  • 1. Application of Interpretation Act 1978
  • 2. Definitions
  • 3. General Principles
• Section 2 – Constitution and Appointment of Members
  • 4. Constitution of the Valuation Joint Board
  • 5. Officers of the Board
  • 6. Appointment of Sub-committees
• Section 3 – Meetings of the Board
  • 7. Meetings
  • 8. Special Meetings
  • 9. Notice of Meeting
  • 10. The Agenda
  • 11. Public and Press Access to Meetings
  • 12. Non-Attendance of Members
  • 13. Quorum and Attendance of Officers
• Section 4 – Order and Conduct of Business at Meetings of the Board
  • 14. Order of Business
  • 15. Minutes
  • 16. Powers and Duties of the Convener
  • 17. Conduct at Meetings
  • 18. Suspension and Alteration of Standing Orders
  • 19. Points of Order
  • 20. Speeches
  • 21. Debates
  • 22. Motions and Amendments
  • 23. Motions – Budgets
  • 24. Decisions
  • 25. Dissent
  • 26. Voting on Appointments of Members
  • 27. Notice of Motion
  • 28. Revocation of Previous Decision
  • 29. Standing Orders
• Section 5 – Miscellaneous Matters
  • 30. Delegation to Officers
  • 31. Contract Standing Orders and Financial Regulations
  • 32. Appointments made by Members
• Section 6 – Scheme of Delegation to Sub-committees
  • 33. Delegation to Sub-committees
  • 34. Extent of Delegation
• Section 7 – Miscellaneous
  • 35. Members
  • 36. Family Relationships
  • 37. Canvassing
  • 38. Access to Documents
  • 39. Unauthorised Instructions
  • 40. Members not eligible for Staff Appointments
  • 41. Interests
  • 42. Non-Pecuniary Interests
• Section 8 – Appointment of Sub-committees
  • 43. Appointment of Sub-committees
• Section 9 – Remote Attendance Protocol
• Section 10 – Protocol for Audiocasting of Board Meetings
• Document Control Sheet

Section 1 – Preliminary Matters

1. Application of Interpretation Act 1978

1.1. The purpose of the Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board is to discharge jointly the functions of the valuation authorities of Orkney and Shetland.

1.2. The Interpretation Act 1978 will apply to the interpretation of these Standing Orders as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament.

1.3. Subject to the express provision of any enactment the Board may delegate any of its functions, with the exception of the approval or introduction of new policies or changes to existing policies, to Sub-committees, or officers.

1.4. Notwithstanding the above, the Board may resume responsibility for exercising any such delegated functions.

2. Definitions

2.1. In the Standing Orders, unless the context otherwise demands, the following terms will have the undernoted meanings.

3. General Principles

3.1. The following general principles will be given effect to in the application of the Standing Orders relating to meetings.

3.1.1. The role of the Convener is to permit fair and responsible debate and to ensure that the business of the meeting is properly dealt with and clear decisions are reached.

3.1.2. The Convener has a responsibility to ensure that the views and opinions of other participants (including the advice of officers where this is necessary to inform the decision) are allowed to be expressed. This requires a balanced approach to ensure fairness while at the same time dealing firmly with any attempt to disrupt or unnecessarily delay the meeting.

3.1.3. Meetings are conducted in a proper and timely manner with all Members sharing the responsibility for the proper and expeditious discharge of business.

3.1.4. Meetings are conducted in compliance with these Standing Orders and the role of the Convener in reaching decisions on their application is respected and supported.

3.1.5. All Members will show respect for one another and for employees of the Board.

IMAGE: The page reproduces Sections 1 and 2 in bordered tables, including the definitions table and the opening provisions on the Board’s constitution.

Section 2 – Constitution and Appointment of Members

4. Constitution of the Valuation Joint Board

4.1. The Board was established by, and exists in accordance with, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 and the Order.

4.2. The Board shall consist of Councillors from the constituent authorities of Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council and shall have all such functions as are vested in it by the Order and the functions which the constituent authorities of the Board would otherwise have had under the Valuation Acts in consequence of section 27 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

4.3. The Board shall be a body corporate by the name “The Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board” comprising 10 Members appointed from the membership of the constituent authorities as follows:

4.3.1. Five appointed by Orkney Islands Council.

4.3.2. Five appointed by Shetland Islands Council.

Appointment of Members of the Board and Period of Office

4.4. Members shall be appointed by each constituent authority at the first meeting of that authority after each election of Councillors.

4.5. Subject to the terms of Standing Orders 4.11 to 4.14, the term of office of Members shall be five years expiring on the day of the ordinary election of councillors next following the date of their appointment.

4.6. The proceedings of the Board shall not be invalidated by any vacancy or vacancies among its Members or by any defects in the method of appointment of any of its Members.

4.7. Any Member may be represented at any meeting of the Board by a substitute Member appointed in accordance with Standing Order 4.8 below.

4.8. A constituent authority may, subject to Standing Order 4.9, appoint up to five of its councillors as substitute Members to attend meetings of the Board, or any of its Sub-committees, in the absence of any Members appointed by that authority, and where any such substitute Members are appointed, only one substitute Member may attend in place of a Member who is absent.

4.9. A substitute Member shall have the same powers at a meeting of the Board or Sub-committee as the Member whom they are representing would have had at that meeting.

4.10. A Councillor may not be appointed as a substitute Member if they are already a Member.

Cessation of Membership of the Board

4.11. If, prior to the next ordinary election following the date of their appointment, a Member ceases to be a member of the constituent authority which appointed them, they shall cease to be a Member.

4.12. A Member may resign their membership at any time. Such resignation shall:

4.12.1. Be in writing.

4.12.2. Be intimated to the head of the paid service of the constituent authority by which they were appointed and to the Clerk.

4.12.3. Take effect on the date on which the Clerk receives such intimation or on such later date as may be specified in that intimation.

4.13. A Member shall cease to be a Member if and when the constituent authority by which they were appointed so decides.

4.14. A Member shall cease to be a Member if their membership is determined in accordance with Standing Order 12.2.

4.15. If any person ceases to be a Member, the constituent authority which appointed them shall as soon as possible appoint a Member in their place unless in the opinion of the constituent authority the appointment should be deferred until the next appointment of Members.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on Members, their appointment, substitute Members and cessation of membership in a bordered table.

Convener and Depute Convener

4.16. Statutory Meeting. The election of the Convener shall be the first business transacted at the first statutory meeting of the Board held after the ordinary election of Councillors, and at that meeting, until the Convener is elected, the Clerk, or his/her nominee, as appointed by him/her in writing, shall preside.

4.17. In the case of an equality of votes the Convener shall be elected by lot as between those who received equal votes.

4.18. On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of Convener an election to fill the vacancy shall be held as soon as practicable.

4.19. The term of office of the Convener shall be from the date of his/her appointment until the day of the ordinary election of Councillors next following the date of his/her appointment. Otherwise s/he shall cease to hold that office upon ceasing to be a Member.

4.20. A person who previously held the office of Convener shall be eligible for re-election as Convener.

4.21. After the election of the Convener, and at the same meeting, the next business of the Board shall be to elect a Member to be Depute Convener of the Board. The persons who hold office as Convener and Depute Convener shall not, at any time, be members of the same constituent authority.

4.22. In the case of an equality of votes the Depute Convener shall be elected by lot as between those who received equal votes.

4.23. The Depute Convener shall, unless s/he resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until the day of the ordinary election of Councillors next following the date of his/her appointment.

4.24. On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of Depute Convener an election to fill the vacancy shall be held as soon as practicable.

4.25. In the absence of the Convener, the Depute Convener shall assume his/her authority and powers.

4.26. It is the responsibility of the Convener and the Depute Convener to observe these Standing Orders and to ensure that the Members observe and adhere to them at all times.

4.27. The Board may appoint representatives to other organisations.

4.28. If the Convener and the Depute Convener are absent from any meeting of the Board, the Clerk shall preside over the meeting until the Board present appoints a chair to preside at that meeting.

4.29. In the event of an urgent matter arising which requires an immediate decision, the Clerk, or his/her nominee, may take action on behalf of the Board, having consulted with the Convener or Depute Convener, whichever is appropriate and available. A short report of the action taken shall be submitted to a meeting of the Board as soon as possible and no later than the next meeting.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on the Convener and Depute Convener, including election, vacancies, powers and urgent action by the Clerk.

5. Officers of the Board

5.1. Clerk to the Board. The Clerk, appointed from time to time by the Board, shall be responsible to the Board for the overall executive management and co-ordination of the business and administration of the Board. The Clerk shall appoint such nominees as necessary to provide a full range of administrative services. These shall include assisting in the preparation of reports to the Board in so far as they relate to administrative matters, the publication and dispatch of notices of Board meetings, agendas and reports, the preparation of minutes, attendance at meetings and procedural advice.

5.2. Treasurer to the Board. The Board shall appoint a Treasurer, from time to time, who shall provide a full range of general financial advice and services to the Board, including the preparation of accounts, regulation of expenditure and the preparation of financial reports to Board meetings. S/he shall assist in the preparation of other reports to the Board in so far as they relate to financial matters.

5.3. The Board may appoint such other staff as may be required for the discharge of the functions of the Board.

6. Appointment of Sub-committees

6.1. In order to delegate its functions, the Board may appoint Sub-committees according to Standing Order 33.

6.2. Each Sub-committee shall have authority to carry out the functions of the Board within its own area of responsibility as defined in terms of reference approved by the Board. Membership of Sub-committees shall be comprised solely of Members.

Section 3 – Meetings of the Board

7. Meetings

7.1. All Board meetings will take place in accordance with legal requirements. There are two forms of meeting:

7.1.1. Ordinary Meetings.

7.1.2. Special Meetings.

7.2. All Ordinary Meetings of the Board shall generally be held alternately between Orkney and Shetland at the time and on the day which is approved by the Board and in accordance with the programme circulated by the Clerk, unless determined otherwise by:

7.2.1. The Board; or

7.2.2. The Convener and Depute Convener; or

7.2.3. The Convener or Depute Convener, acting together with the Clerk.

With due notice being given of any alteration to the ordinary meeting place or time in compliance with the provisions of the 1973 Act.

7.3. Members may attend such meetings remotely providing arrangements can be made for Members to participate via electronic means. The Remote Attendance Protocol, Section 9 of these Standing Orders, details the procedures to be followed.

7.4. In extreme circumstances (for example severe weather conditions preventing Members and the public from travelling safely to the meeting place) meetings may be cancelled or postponed by the Clerk in consultation with the Convener or alternatively be arranged for remote attendance.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on officers, Sub-committees and the forms, locations and remote attendance arrangements for Board meetings.

8. Special Meetings

8.1. A Special Meeting of the Board may be called at any time:

8.1.1. By the Convener; or

8.1.2. In the absence of the Convener, by the Depute Convener; or

8.1.3. On a requisition in writing specifying the business proposed to be transacted and signed by at least four Members. The Clerk, in consultation with the Convener, will arrange for the meeting to be held within 14 days of receipt of the requisition.

9. Notice of Meeting

9.1. Notice to Members: The Clerk will give notice of meetings to all Members by leaving or sending (which may include by email) a notice to them at their usual place of residence or such other address as any Member may have notified to the Clerk. The notice will be given at least three clear days before the meeting, or if the meeting is convened at shorter notice, at the time the meeting is actually convened and will comprise:

9.1.1. The date, time and place of the meeting; and

9.1.2. The list of items of business to be transacted at the meeting.

9.2. Want of service of a notice on any Member will not affect the validity of a meeting.

9.3. Notice to the Press and Public: The Clerk will give notice of meetings to the press and to the public by publishing details of the items specified in Standing Order 9.1 online:

9.3.1. At least three clear days before the meeting, or

9.3.2. If the meeting is convened at shorter notice, at the time the meeting is actually convened.

However, no report containing Confidential or Exempt Information as defined in Standing Orders 11.5 and 11.6 will be made available for public inspection.

10. The Agenda

10.1. The procedures of agenda management are governed by the timetable for meetings of the Board. The timetable shall be circulated by the Clerk on a regular basis. The procedures and timetable for the circulation of draft reports and the clearance and classification of reports shall be in accordance with guidelines issued by the Clerk.

10.2. Each item of business to be transacted at a meeting will be noted on the agenda. No other item of business will be considered at the meeting unless, by reason of special circumstances, the Convener is of the opinion that the item should be considered as a matter of urgency. The nature of the special circumstances will be recorded in the minute of the meeting.

10.3. Each agenda item will be accompanied by a report, unless special circumstances exist for non-availability of any report.

10.4. All letters, reports etc from outside bodies must be accompanied by a written report by the relevant officer of a constituent authority.

10.5. The Clerk will consult with the Convener and report authors in the drafting of the agenda. The Convener, in consultation with the Clerk, shall review the draft agenda and the sequence of items under consideration before publication.

10.6. All reports and relevant documentation shall normally be available for circulation with the agenda; only in exceptional circumstances will items be listed on the agenda, where the report is not available at that time.

10.7. The addition of other items to an agenda which has already been issued shall not be permitted unless the Clerk has arranged with the Convener for the item to be taken as a matter of urgency.

10.8. Copies of the agenda and accompanying reports will be open for inspection by members of the public at the offices of the Clerk at least three clear days before the meeting, except:

10.8.1. Where the meeting is convened at shorter notice, in which case the agenda and reports will be available for public inspection from the time the meeting is convened.

10.8.2. Where an item is added to an agenda, copies of which are open for inspection by the public, in which case copies of the item (or of the revised agenda), and copies of any report for the meeting relating to the item, will be open for inspection from the time the item is added to the agenda.

10.8.3. Reports which disclose Confidential and/or Exempt Information.

11. Public and Press Access to Meetings

11.1. All meetings of the Board will be open to the public except in the circumstances detailed below.

11.1.1. Whenever it is likely at any meeting, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that there will be a disclosure of exempt information (see Standing Order 11.6), the public may be excluded from the meeting while the particular matter is being considered.

11.1.2. Whenever it is likely at any meeting, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that confidential information (see Standing Order 11.5) will be disclosed in breach of the obligation of confidence, the public will be excluded while the particular matter is being considered.

11.1.3. The Convener has power to exclude any member of the public from a meeting in order to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour which is impeding or likely to impede the work or proceedings of the Board.

11.1.4. If a member of the public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting, the Convener will give a warning. If the interruption continues, the Convener will order the removal of the person from the meeting place. In the case of general disturbance in any part of the meeting place open to the public, the Convener may order that part to be cleared.

11.2. No member of the public will be permitted to speak or to take any other part in the proceedings of a meeting of the Board save in exceptional cases at the discretion of the Convener.

11.3. The right of public access to meetings does not include a right to photograph, record or broadcast the proceedings at the meeting. The Board may permit such photography, recording or broadcasting. A request for such permission should be made to the Board by close of business on the day prior to the date of the meeting and will be considered as part of the business of the meeting.

11.4. Live audio casting and recording of meetings by the Board shall be in accordance with the Protocol detailed in Section 10.

11.5. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public except to the extent that the public shall be excluded if it is likely that Confidential Information will be disclosed:

11.5.1. Confidential refers to:

11.5.1.1. Information furnished to the Board by a Government Department upon terms (however expressed) which forbid the disclosure of the information to the public, or

11.5.1.2. Information, the disclosure of which to the public is prohibited by, or under, any enactment or by the order of a Court.

11.5.2. The Confidential classification is imposed by higher authority and must not be changed or removed without the approval of that higher authority.

11.6. The public may, by resolution of the Board, be excluded during consideration of an item of business which contains Exempt information.

11.6.1. An item of business contains Exempt information if the information is similar to the criteria set out in Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended.

11.6.2. The classification as “Not for Publication” of a document containing information which is Exempt is the responsibility of the Clerk.

11.6.3. In addition to the Exempt classification, a report may also contain a recommendation by its author as to whether or not, and why, the report should be considered in private.

11.6.4. It is for Members to decide whether or not to resolve that a document marked: “Not for Publication” should be considered in private.

11.6.5. The Board may resolve that certain categories of items containing Exempt information will always be considered in public. The Board shall instruct the Clerk accordingly and these items shall not be marked.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the public and press access provisions, including the circumstances in which confidential or exempt information may require exclusion of the public.

12. Non-Attendance of Members

12.1. Should a Member be unable to attend a meeting for whatever reason, they may tender their apologies either by intimating them to the Clerk in advance of the meeting or by another Member doing so at the commencement of business, and these apologies only will be incorporated in the minute of the meeting.

12.2. If a Member fails throughout a period of six consecutive months to attend any meeting of the Board, the Clerk will report this to the Board and, subject to Standing Order 12.3, the Board may determine to contact the constituent authorities with a request to remove that Member from the Board.

12.3. Subject to the provisions of the 1973 Act, the Board may grant a leave of absence to any Member who, for a reason approved by Board, is unable to attend any meeting of the Board for a continuous period of six months.

12.4. Attendance at any Sub-committee is deemed to be attendance at a meeting of the Board for the purposes of this Standing Order.

13. Quorum and Attendance of Officers

13.1. At all meetings of the Board, the quorum will be one quarter of the Members entitled to vote. No meetings shall be held where all Members present represent only one of the constituent authorities. If, within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting will stand adjourned to such date and time as may be fixed by the Convener, and the minute of the meeting will disclose this fact.

13.1.1. If, at any time after a meeting has commenced, the number of Members present falls below the quorum, the Convener will suspend the proceedings.

13.1.2. If, after the lapse of five minutes, the Convener finds that the quorum has not been achieved, he will adjourn the meeting to such other date and time as may be fixed, and the minute of the meeting will disclose this fact.

13.2. Officers of the constituent councils may not attend Board meetings unless they are the Clerk or Treasurer, or their presence is deemed necessary by the Clerk or Treasurer, to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of Board business.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on non-attendance, quorum and attendance of officers in a bordered table.

Section 4 – Order and Conduct of Business at Meetings of the Board

14. Order of Business

14.1. The business of the Board at Ordinary meetings will proceed (unless otherwise directed by the convener who may, at his/her discretion, alter the order of business at any stage) in the following order:

14.1.1. Welcome.

14.1.2. Audio-casting notice.

14.1.3. Apologies.

14.1.4. Declarations of Interest.

14.1.5. Disclosure of Exempt Information.

14.1.6. The minutes of the last Ordinary Meeting and of any Special Meeting of the Board since held.

14.1.7. Reports submitted for consideration.

14.1.8. Business expressly required by Statute.

14.1.9. Urgent items added to the agenda under Standing Order 10.2.

14.1.10. Motions of which notice has previously been given in accordance with Standing Order 27.

14.2. The Convener may, at any meeting, vary the order of business so as to give precedence to any business of special urgency.

15. Minutes

15.1. Minutes of Board meetings will be compiled and kept by the Clerk and on their approval at the next Ordinary meeting of the Board will be signed by the Convener.

15.2. There will be no discussion of the minutes except on their accuracy. Any question of accuracy must be raised by amendment to the Convener’s motion and voted on without discussion. No written notice of motion is required.

15.3. The Minutes shall be a brief and concise record of the business conducted at the meeting. They shall include Motions and Amendments together with the names of the movers and seconders. If a roll call is approved a record shall be made of the names and votes of the members present and voting.

15.4. When items of business have been dealt with in private by reason of their containing Confidential and/or Exempt Information, a minute summarising the proceedings without disclosing the classified information shall be produced for members of the public.

16. Powers and Duties of the Convener

16.1. The Convener will preside at all meetings of the Board.

16.2. The Convener shall:

16.2.1. Ensure that Standing Orders are followed.

16.2.2. Ensure that Members are treated equally and that they are given a fair opportunity to express their views on any item of business while having regard to the terms of Standing Order 17.5 on the requirement to ensure the proper and expeditious discharge of business.

16.2.3. Preserve order within the meeting.

16.3. Without prejudice to any other provision of these Standing Orders, the Convener shall have power:

16.3.1. To decide on all matters of decorum, order, competency and relevancy, having sought advice from relevant officers where appropriate.

16.3.2. To determine all questions of procedure for which no provision is made in these Standing Orders.

16.3.3. To determine the order in which Members may speak.

16.3.4. In ruling that certain language is unacceptable, to seek withdrawal of a remark, an apology or any other action required, in the Convener’s opinion, to allow the meeting to proceed properly.

16.3.5. To rule on the acceptability of behaviour during the course of the meeting.

16.3.6. In the event of disorder arising, to adjourn the meeting to a time and date as the Convener shall fix then or later, and the Convener leaving the Chair in such circumstances shall, without further procedure, have the effect of a formal adjournment of the meeting.

16.3.7. To order the exclusion of any members of the public in the event of disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour.

16.3.8. To exercise both a deliberative and a casting vote unless otherwise provided by statute.

16.4. The decision of the Convener on all matters within his/her powers shall be final and shall not be open to question or discussion. If asked, however, the Convener will state a reason for any decision he/she makes which will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the Convener’s powers and duties, including authority over order, procedure, speaking, behaviour and voting.

17. Conduct at Meetings

17.1. All Members must comply with the requirements of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct and associated guidance as issued by the Standards Commission for Scotland from time to time.

17.2. Deference shall at all times be paid to the authority of the Convener. When the Convener begins to speak, any Member addressing the meeting shall give way. The Convener shall be heard without interruption.

17.3. All Members must respect the Convener, colleagues, officers, Board employees and any members of the public present during meetings or other formal proceedings of the Board.

17.4. Members are accountable for their own conduct in meetings in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct irrespective of the conduct of others. Abusive or offensive language is not acceptable.

17.5. All Members must comply with rulings from the Convener in the conduct of business of the Board. This includes rulings on the proper and timely conduct of meetings, the acceptability of language used and the fairness and sufficiency of debate. Members present at the meeting share responsibility for the proper and expeditious discharge of business.

17.6. Members shall ensure that all mobile phones and other electronic communications devices are switched off, on silent or vibrate mode during meetings (except when being used for the purpose of enabling remote attendance). Members shall not correspond, whether by email, text, social media or any other electronic means with any other Member or other person during a Meeting, except where this is incidental to remote attendance or in connection with an emergency. Research through the internet is permitted providing this is done in a manner which respects the authority of the Convener and does not interfere with the business of the Meeting.

18. Suspension and Alteration of Standing Orders

18.1. Any one or more of these Standing Orders, except those governed by statute, may be suspended at any meeting provided that a motion to do so is allowed by the Convener and is moved, seconded and agreed by at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at the meeting. If this occurs, advice must be sought to ensure that subsequent business is conducted in accordance with the law.

18.2. Notice of any Member’s proposal to change the Standing Orders shall be given at one meeting of the Board, and not debated or voted upon until the next. Any proposed change must have the approval of a majority of the Members present and voting before it can be incorporated.

18.3. The Clerk shall submit to any meeting of the Board a note of any new, or alteration of any existing, Standing Order which may be required as a result of any Act of Parliament, Statutory Instrument or Regulation. The Standing Orders shall be amended accordingly.

19. Points of Order

19.1. A Member may raise a point of order at any time during a meeting. In doing so, they must refer to the particular Standing Order that they consider is being infringed and must limit their intervention strictly to that point. The Member then speaking will give way to enable the Convener to rule on the point. No other Member may speak on it. The Convener will decide on the point.

20. Speeches

20.1. Each Member will introduce his/her speech by indicating whether s/he are speaking in support of the motion, the amendment or introducing.

20.2. No speech shall exceed five minutes except when prior notice has been sought from, and approval granted by, the Convener.

20.3. If a Member raises a point of order, s/he shall say, if requested to do so by the Convener, to which Standing Order his/her point is directed.

20.4. No interruption of a speech shall be permitted other than by the Convener.

20.5. A Member who speaks shall speak strictly to the motion under discussion, or to a motion or amendment to be proposed by him/herself, or to a point of order.

20.6. No Member shall speak more than once on any subject under discussion, except on a point of order or, with the consent of the Convener, to make an explanation or correction as to a point of factual inaccuracy expressed during the debate. Only the mover of a motion shall have a right of reply.

20.7. A Member shall address the Convener when speaking. If two or more Members speak simultaneously, the Convener shall call upon one to speak.

20.8. The Convener shall check a Member for relevance, unnecessary repetition, failure to address the Convener, unbecoming language, reflections of a personal character or unwarranted or unsubstantiated criticism of another Member or an official. If a Member disregards the Convener, the Convener may order him/her to end his/her speech and, if s/he considers it necessary, following a resolution of the Board or otherwise on behalf of the Board, order his/her removal from the Chamber or suspend the sitting for a specified time.

21. Debates

21.1. No motion or amendment shall be debated unless it has been moved and seconded.

21.2. If required by the Convener, a motion or amendment shall be put in writing and handed to the Clerk. In that case it shall be read before it is further discussed or put to the vote.

21.3. The seconder may speak when seconding or reserve his/her right to speak later.

21.4. A Member shall not move or second more than one amendment upon a motion.

21.5. A motion or amendment once moved and seconded, shall not be altered or withdrawn without the consent of the mover and seconder. No Member may speak on the motion or the amendment after the mover has asked permission for its withdrawal, unless permission has been refused.

21.6. Every amendment must be relevant to the motion to the satisfaction of the Convener. The Convener can, with the consent of the meeting, combine motions or amendments which are similar.

21.7. Whenever an amendment upon the original motion has been moved and seconded, no further amendment shall be moved until the first amendment has been disposed of. Notice of any further amendments must be given before the vote is taken on the first amendment; the order of such further amendments shall be recorded by the Clerk.

21.8. If an amendment is rejected the next further amendment may be moved on the original motion. If an amendment is carried, it shall take the place of the original motion.

21.9. Before voting takes place on any motion or amendment the mover shall be called upon by the Convener to reply. When replying, the mover shall strictly confine him/herself to answering previous speakers and shall not introduce any new matter. No further debate shall be permitted and the vote shall be taken.

21.10. At any stage of the debate any Member who has not spoken on the item at the meeting may move “that the question be now put”. This motion must be moved and seconded without discussion but, if the Convener considers that the matter has been insufficiently discussed, s/he may refuse to accept the motion. If the Convener accepts the motion, s/he will order a vote, by show of hands, to be taken on the motion “that the question be now put”; if this is carried, s/he shall permit the mover of the original motion his/her right of reply. No further debate shall be permitted and the motion shall then be put to the vote.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on points of order, speeches and the opening provisions on debates.

22. Motions and Amendments

22.1. A Member may move that the Board adjourns. S/he shall need, if challenged, the support of at least half of the Members present and voting (subject to a minimum of three). S/he may not move or second an adjournment motion more than once at a meeting.

22.2. A motion or amendment will not be discussed or put to the meeting unless it has been moved and seconded.

22.3. Without prejudice to Standing Order 21.10, a motion to which no amendment is moved will be declared carried and will not be the subject of debate unless the Convener, at his/her sole discretion, allows the mover and seconder of the motion to speak in explanation if the subject matter is considered by the Convener to be of special interest to the meeting. No other speeches will be allowed.

22.4. Should any Member wish to ask a question or to seek clarification in order to determine whether s/he supports the motion or an amendment, the consent of the Convener should be sought to do so whenever the motion or amendment has been moved and seconded.

22.5. Motions or amendments made, but not seconded, will not be discussed or recorded in the minutes. When a motion or amendment has been moved but not seconded, the mover may require his/her dissent in respect of a decision taken on the item of business to which the motion or amendment relates, to be entered in the minutes.

22.6. A Member may only alter the text of his/her motion or amendment with the consent of the Convener on cause shown. The alteration must amend the motion or amendment and not be an entirely new motion or amendment. If the motion or amendment has been moved and seconded, the seconder must also give consent to the alteration.

22.7. Except where the Convener notes that those Members at the meeting are in general agreement with regard to any unopposed motion, each motion will be put to the vote.

23. Motions – Budgets

23.1. Any motion or amendment which seeks to add to, take from or otherwise alter or amend the annual budgets submitted to the Board shall require to take the form of an alternative budget which shall detail the cost of the proposal(s) being advanced or the savings proposed to be achieved and the consequential impact of that cost or those savings on the annual budget. Any such amendment must be submitted to the Treasurer by noon on the second last clear day before the meeting takes place to enable the Treasurer to consider the financial implications thereof.

23.2. Motions or amendments which, if approved, would involve the Board incurring revenue or capital expenditure must:

23.2.1. Contain information regarding the full amount of such expenditure.

23.2.2. State whether the expenditure is recurring or one-off.

23.3. The Treasurer shall advise, where possible, on the financial implications of such motion or amendment. In the event that the Treasurer is unable to give advice on the matter at the meeting, the matter will not be determined until such time as the Treasurer has had the opportunity to consider the implications and give advice on them.

24. Decisions

24.1. The Convener, or on his request the Clerk, shall read out the motion and, having called for and received no amendments, shall declare the motion to be the decision of the meeting.

24.2. If an amendment is moved and seconded, then before the motion and amendment are voted upon, they shall be read out and confirmed by the Convener, or on his request by the Clerk. After voting has taken place, the decision of the meeting shall be similarly declared.

24.3. A vote may be taken by calling the roll (recorded vote), by secret ballot or by show of hands. The usual method of voting will be by calling the roll (recorded vote). Individual votes shall be recorded in the minutes. Voting for the appointment of officers shall be by secret ballot and, if necessary, casting vote. Voting on matters of procedure shall be by a show of hands.

24.4. The Convener shall have a casting vote, in addition to any vote which s/he may be entitled to exercise, except in relation to appointments of Members and appointments to Sub-committees in which case the decision shall be by lot.

25. Dissent

25.1. A Member who wishes his/her dissent from a decision of the Board to be minuted must request that his/her dissent be recorded immediately following the decision.

26. Voting on Appointments of Members

26.1. Where only one vacancy requires to be filled and two or more persons are nominated, a vote shall be taken between all the candidates, each Member being entitled to one vote only. If any candidate obtains an absolute majority of those voting s/he shall be duly appointed. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority, the name of the candidate obtaining the least number of votes shall be struck out and a new vote taken of the remaining candidates and so on until a candidate obtains an absolute majority.

26.2. Where more than one vacancy requires to be filled and the number of persons nominated exceeds the number of vacancies, a vote shall be taken between all the candidates, each Member being entitled to vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies. Candidates who receive an absolute majority shall be duly appointed. If all the vacancies are not filled on the first vote, the name of the candidate obtaining the least number of votes shall be struck out and a new vote taken of the remaining candidates who have not already been duly appointed by the first vote, and so on until all the vacancies have been filled.

26.3. In the event of an equality of votes that cannot be resolved by a further voting stage, the candidate to be elected will be decided by lot, which will be conducted by the Clerk.

27. Notice of Motion

27.1. A Notice of Motion may be lodged by any Member in respect of any item of business relevant to the Board. Such Notice of Motion must be received by the Clerk by 11:00 on the tenth clear working day prior to the day of the meeting. The Notice of Motion shall bear the signatures of at least one quarter of the Members.

27.2. Without prejudice to Standing Order 28, any decision of the Board contained in the signed minutes shall stand and no motion or resolution inconsistent with it shall be allowed unless a Notice of Motion to overturn the decision is given. When any such motion has been disposed of, the Board shall not consider a similar motion within six months.

27.3. If the Member who has given a Notice of Motion is absent from the meeting at which the motion is to be considered, the motion shall fall, unless it is moved by another Member or, by resolution of the Joint Board, it is deferred to the next ordinary meeting.

27.4. If the Member who has given a Notice of Meeting is present at the meeting at which it is to be considered and does not move the motion when called upon by the Convener, it shall fall.

28. Revocation of Previous Decision

28.1. A decision of the Board cannot be reconsidered or changed within 12 months of being made unless:

28.1.1. It is required by statute, or

28.1.2. The Convener rules that there has been a material change in circumstances since the decision was made, or

28.1.3. Two thirds of the Members present at the meeting agree otherwise.

In each of the cases above, notice of the proposed change will be given in the Notice for the meeting or the minute, whichever is appropriate.

29. Standing Orders

29.1. The ruling of the Convener concerning the interpretation or application of these Standing Orders shall, subject to Standing Order 16.4, not be challenged at any meeting of the Board.

29.2. The Board at any of its meetings may suspend any Standing Order in relation to a specific item of business provided that a motion to suspend the Standing Order is moved, seconded and carried without discussion by at least two-thirds of the Members present and voting at the meeting.

29.3. A meeting of the Board may only consider amendments to these Standing Orders if notice of the intention is included in the Notice for the meeting.

29.4. Standing Orders 29.1, 29.2 and 29.3 are not capable of suspension.

29.5. The Clerk will give each Member a printed copy of these Standing Orders when s/he is appointed to the Board and on each occasion when the Standing Orders are amended.

29.6. Each Member will sign a statement to acknowledge that s/he has received the Standing Orders and agrees to comply with the provisions contained therein.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on motions, amendments, budgets, decisions, voting, dissent, notices of motion, revocation of decisions and Standing Orders.

Section 5 – Miscellaneous Matters

30. Delegation to Officers

30.1. Without prejudice to the provisions of Standing Order 34, the Board may make a Scheme of Delegation to Officers for the purpose of arranging for the discharge of any of the functions of the Board. Any such scheme shall form part of and shall be read with these Standing Orders.

30.2. Standing Order 29.3 shall apply to any alteration to the Scheme of Delegation as it applies to these Standing Orders.

31. Contract Standing Orders and Financial Regulations

31.1. The Board will make Contract Standing Orders and may make Financial Regulations for the regulation of the making by it or on its behalf of contracts and for the proper planning, execution and control of its financial affairs and such Standing Orders and Regulations will form part of these Standing Orders and will be read with them and with any Scheme of Delegation made by the Board.

31.2. Contract Standing Orders and Financial Regulations made by the Board in terms of this Standing Order will apply to Sub-committees, Members, officers and certain agents of the Board as appropriate, (the question of whether any person or body is an “agent” of the Board being determined by the Clerk whose ruling will be final).

32. Appointments made by Members

32.1. The appointment of the Assessor, Clerk and Treasurer shall be undertaken by the Board.

IMAGE: The page reproduces Sections 5 and 6 in bordered tables, covering delegation, contracts, financial regulations and appointments.

Section 6 – Scheme of Delegation to Sub-committees

33. Delegation to Sub-committees

33.1. The Board’s process of making decisions and carrying out its business is done in a variety of ways. In order to be as effective as possible in delivering services to members of the public or in responding to external parties engaged in dealings with it, the Board may delegate these tasks to Sub-committees or officers. This is permitted in terms of the law and allows for a speedier and more efficient delivery of Board business, as well as allowing those engaging with the Board to do so in the knowledge that the interaction will not be hampered by a lack of authority on the part of their relevant Board contacts.

33.2. Whilst there are some decisions reserved exclusively to the Board as a whole, where delegation does take place it is important to remember that every decision taken under delegated power, whether by a Sub-committee or an officer, is considered to be a decision of the Board.

34. Extent of Delegation

34.1. The Board can only delegate to a Sub-committee or an officer of the Board. Unless the Board states otherwise, Sub-committees may delegate further to officers and it may be that such delegations are contained in reports on particular topics dealt with from time to time by the Board.

34.2. Officers may sub-delegate any matter delegated to them with the expectation that day to day decisions should be sub-delegated as close to the point of service delivery as possible. Any action or decision taken in these circumstances remains the responsibility of the delegating officer. Officers should keep a written record of this delegation.

34.3. Where a responsibility has been further delegated there is nothing to prevent the person who was originally given delegated powers under the Scheme of Delegation from dealing with the responsibility themselves or from withdrawing or amending the delegation.

Section 7 – Miscellaneous

35. Members

35.1. Each Member shall act honestly and in good faith and in the best interests of the Board.

35.2. The names of Members present at all meetings of the Board and its Sub-committees shall be recorded.

35.3. When Members know in advance that they will not be able to attend a meeting for any reason they shall inform the Clerk. Each constituent authority shall make arrangements for a substitute to attend when appropriate. Before each meeting the Clerk shall ascertain which Members will be attending and if the meeting is likely to be inquorate.

36. Family Relationships

36.1. Members shall disclose to the Clerk or his/her nominee any family relationship in connection with the appointment, promotion, settlement of individual conditions of service or termination of employment, of a relation, by the Board.

37. Canvassing

37.1. Employees and/or officials acting on behalf of the Board and applicants for employment may not canvass Members.

38. Access to Documents

38.1. Members may have, on request, a copy of the signed minutes of any Board or Sub-committee meeting.

38.2. The production to a Member of a document which has not been circulated shall be at the discretion of the Clerk or his/her nominee. If the Clerk or his/her nominee considers that a document should be withheld it shall be withheld until a decision is taken by the Board.

IMAGE: The page reproduces provisions on delegation, Members, family relationships, canvassing and access to documents.

39. Unauthorised Instructions

39.1. Individual Members may not give instructions to Board staff or require any Board official to do or refrain from doing anything.

40. Members not eligible for Staff Appointments

40.1. A person shall, so long as s/he, and for 12 months after s/he ceases to be, a Member, be disqualified for being appointed by the Board to any paid office.

41. Interests

41.1. Any Member who has a pecuniary interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter before a meeting of the Board or any of its Sub-committees shall disclose his/her interest and, if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting prior to commencement of discussion of the item, having regard to the Member’s duties contained in the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

42. Non-Pecuniary Interests

42.1. Non-pecuniary interests must be declared if they become relevant when a matter is considered and the Member should withdraw from the meeting if appropriate having regard to the Member’s duties contained in the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

Section 8 – Appointment of Sub-committees

43. Appointment of Sub-committees

43.1. The Board may appoint from its membership such Sub-committees as it may from time to time consider necessary or desirable and may refer to such Sub-committees such matters as the Board may from time to time specify. The Board will appoint a Chair to each Sub-committee.

43.2. Any member of a Sub-committee of the Board may be represented at any meeting of that Sub-committee by a substitute Member appointed in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.

43.3. A constituent authority may, subject to Standing Order 4.8, appoint one of its members to be a substitute member for any member of a Sub-committee who is also a member of that authority.

43.4. A substitute member shall have the same powers at a meeting of a Sub-committee as the member whom s/he is representing would have had at that meeting.

43.5. A person may not be appointed as a substitute member of a Sub-committee if they are a member of that Sub-committee.

43.6. The Sub-committees, deemed necessary for the carrying out of the functions of the Board, shall have such terms of reference and delegated powers as may be prescribed by the Board by resolution.

43.7. The quorum of a Sub-committee will be one third of the membership, provided that in no case will any business be transacted unless at least three voting members of the Sub-committee are present and who represent more than one constituent authority.

43.8. All minutes of the proceedings of Sub-committees will be drawn up by the Clerk.

43.9. The minute of a meeting of a Sub-committee will so far as practicable be:

43.9.1. Submitted to the next meeting of the Board and the matters contained therein will be subject to the approval of the Board except as regards matters which have been delegated to the Sub-committee.

43.9.2. Submitted to the next ensuing meeting of the Sub-committee at which it will be held as read, corrected if need be, and where held to be a true record of the proceedings of the meeting to which it relates, will be signed by the person presiding at that next ensuing meeting.

IMAGE: The page reproduces the provisions on the appointment, substitute membership, quorum and minutes of Sub-committees.

Section 9 – Remote Attendance Protocol

The following procedures/protocols apply to all Board meetings where access to the meeting is through the Microsoft Teams platform. These procedures should be read alongside the Board’s Standing Orders.

1. Prior to the Meeting

All relevant members will be issued with an invitation to the meeting.

The agenda and reports will be published electronically in the normal way.

Prior to entering the meeting members should check that their device is fully charged or is connected to a supply of electricity.

Members should log onto the Teams platform in good time prior to the start of the meeting to ensure there are no issues. You join the meeting by opening the meeting invite on your calendar and clicking on the “Join Microsoft Teams meeting” link.

If members are not able to access the Teams meeting by the start time of the meeting, and/or there be an issue with the video connection, they will be given the option to participate by telephone. The audio conferencing details are included in the meeting invite.

Please ensure that mobile phones, and any nearby landline phones, are switched off or on silent mode to avoid unnecessary interruptions.

Find a suitable location for the meeting, where you will be comfortable and will not be disturbed. Smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo (Alexa), Google Home or smart music devices, may be recording phone/video conversations and this could be an inadvertent breach of GDPR. It is strongly advised that any such device that connects to the Internet should be turned off or moved out of the room in which you are working. This is particularly important for meetings that include exempt or confidential items.

Please consider your location and what is visible in the background. A plain wall can create a good background and you should remove anything that you may not wish to be on view such as family photos or recognisable products/brands. Please also check any glass or mug used for drinking is neutral, with no particular branding, slogans or images which could be viewed as offensive. A corporate background image can be provided if requested.

2. Microsoft Teams Functions

Options Bar

If you have joined the meeting via Teams, you will see an Options Bar – where this bar appears on your screen and the order of the icons will depend on the version of Teams you have installed:

• A toolbar will appear if you hover your mouse over the screen. Or.
• The Options bar will appear across the top of your screen.

The Options Bar has 8 functions:

• Camera – used to switch your camera off and on.
• Microphone – used to mute/unmute your audio.
• Share – provides sharing screen options which will only be utilised by officers providing presentations.
• Ellipsis (more actions) button – provides a further 8 options. The only one which may be used is “Background Effects”.
• Raise hand – selecting this will raise your hand against your video and the participant list.
  • The order of raised hands is also shown in the participant list, with the first person moving to the top, immediately below the organiser of the meeting.
• Conversation – this allows you to “chat” with all other participants in the meeting. This is not a private chat, but a meeting chat, and can be seen by all participants who have been invited to the meeting – regardless of whether they are present at the meeting or not.
  • Use to alert the Chair that you wish to speak – please do not use this function for any other purpose.
• Participants – shows all participants in the meeting (in alphabetical order by first name).
• Hang up/Terminate – participants can terminate the call via the red handset which allows them to leave the meeting and re-join if they select the “join” button from the invite.

Camera

Members should have their video on and should only switch this off, if it is having a detrimental impact on their internet connection.

Depending on the latest update from Microsoft, the number of participants remaining on your screen at any one time varies, with your image in a small box in the corner. When you have finished speaking, please remember that you will remain on screen until a number of other people have spoken. Please therefore assume at all times that what you are saying and/or doing is visible in the same way as it would in a committee room, even if you cannot see and hear other participants. This is particularly relevant in the following circumstances:

If you choose to get up and leave – other participants will see an empty chair.

In order to avoid others seeing anything on camera that might be embarrassing.

If you leave your microphone unmuted – any noise in the room is picked up, and you will be on camera without realising.

Microphone

All participants, other than the Convener, should begin the meeting with their microphones on mute – this is to prevent echo.

Participants should only have their microphone unmuted when invited to speak by the Convener. Please ensure that you mute your microphone when you have finished.

Should any member fail to mute their microphone, Officers will mute it automatically.

Conversation or Chat Function

Because not everyone will be immediately visible to the Convener, if you wish to speak, type “speak”, “question” or “comment” in the chat box and submit.

You may also type ‘Speak on this topic’ if there are a number of indications and you want to ensure you are brought in on the current topic being discussed.

Your wish to speak will be noted and you should wait to be invited to speak by the Convener.

You could also use this chat to type a short message if you are having technical difficulties and are unable to contribute / participate. Alternatively, if the chat function is not working for any reason, “raise your hand” can be used to indicate you wish to speak.

Try not use the chat for typing questions or other comments, unless you are having difficulties with the audio / video, as the Convener needs to keep track of who wishes to speak.

The Convener will monitor the chat and will endeavour to bring people in to speak in the order on the chat.

3. At the Meeting

Prior to the start of the formal meeting, once all members, officers and the person recording the meeting are present, the Convener should remind participants of the following protocols:

• Only the Clerk or his/her nominee should admit external participants “waiting in the lobby” to the meeting.
• This is a formal Board meeting therefore all comments should be addressed through the Convener. Teams should be treated as a virtual “in-person” meeting, and all normal protocols remain the same.
• If you would like to speak, please use the Chat function – simply type “speak” or “question”. Please note that the Chat function is NOT a private chat and all participants, including press representatives, can see the Chat.
• The “show hand” function does not show/work for everyone, depending on how you access the meeting, hence use of the Chat function is the default method.
• If you are not speaking, please ensure your microphone is turned off – if not, background noise can be picked up and/or feedback occur.
• Please ensure your background does not inadvertently advertise any particular product; a blank wall is preferable. Use of the Background features in Teams can affect your connection and cause breakup, particularly when “share screen” is used for presentations.
• The press representatives have been advised that their camera should be off and their microphones muted.

If the meeting is not being broadcast live, the Clerk should then admit the press representatives to the meeting.

If required, the Clerk should do a roll call to confirm those present.

The Convener can then commence the formal meeting and the formal recording of the meeting will start.

Declaration of Interest

Where a member has declared an interest which requires them to leave the meeting, they will require to exit the meeting by pressing the red “hang up” button.

The Clerk and/or the Secretary will then reinvite the member to rejoin the meeting when that business is concluded – this will appear as a pop-up on your screen.

Please note that presence/lack of will be monitored by officers through the “Show Participants” feature. A member must not re-join the meeting until they received an invitation from the Clerk/Secretary.

Moving into Private Business

Just prior to the close of the public part of the meeting, the Convener will move that the remainder of the meeting will be held “in Committee” and seek a seconder. Once seconded, and agreed, the recording of the meeting, if applicable, will cease and members will be asked to “hang up”.

If the meeting is not being broadcast live and the press representatives are entitled to attend the virtual meeting, a separate invite will be issued for the “private” session of the meeting.

Section 10 – Protocol for Audiocasting of Board Meetings

This Protocol has been drawn up to assist with the conduct of audio casting meetings and to ensure that, in doing so, the Board is compliant with its obligations under relevant data protection legislation.

Background

Following consideration of audio casting by the Board on 3 March 2022, meetings of the Board, where these are held in venues with audiocasting facilities, are now broadcast.

Meetings are broadcast live over the internet and can be accessed via the Orkney Islands Council website. In addition, recordings of each meeting are made available via the Orkney Islands Council website. Whenever possible, these are made available within two working days of a meeting taking place.

Prior to the Meeting – Agenda Front Sheets and Signage

The following notice is included on the front of each agenda for designated meetings:

“Please note that this meeting will be recorded and broadcast over the Internet on Orkney Islands Council’s website. The recording will also be publicly available following the meeting and available for listening to for 12 months thereafter. The Council is a Data Controller in terms of data protection legislation. Data collected during the audio cast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s Data Protection Policy. Further information about how the Council uses your personal information and your associated rights is available on the Council’s website.”

Operation of Microphones

Before speaking, press microphone switch to ON.

Wait to be introduced by the Convener.

Speak clearly into microphone.

Once finished speaking press microphone button OFF.

WARNING: Be aware that ‘off-mic’ comments could be picked up and transmitted.

Conduct of Meetings

At the start of each meeting to be broadcast, an announcement will be made by the Convener to the effect that audio casting is taking place for live and subsequent broadcast over the internet.

Cessation or Suspension of Audio Casting

No part of any meeting will be audio cast after Members have passed a resolution excluding the public because of the likely disclosure of exempt or confidential information.

The Clerk will ensure that audio casting of the meeting has ceased and will confirm this to the Convener before any discussion of exempt or confidential matters begins.

In addition, the Convener has discretion to terminate or suspend the audio cast if, in his/her opinion, continuing to audio cast would prejudice the proceedings of the meeting. Circumstances that could lead to suspension or termination of audio casting include public disturbance or other suspension of the meeting or the potential infringement of the rights of any individual.

If a technical fault develops, the meeting will continue without interruption. More often than not, the meeting will be recorded successfully, even if the live broadcast is interrupted.

Editing of Audio Cast

Editing of any content of an audio cast will only be undertaken if there is a legal reason, for instance, the name of a person in witness protection was divulged by a public speaker, confidential personal information is inadvertently disclosed or defamatory comments are made. Editing of content may also be authorised in exceptional circumstances such as if an attendee is taken ill. A log will be maintained of audio casts where content has been edited. The Assessor/Electoral Registration Officer will, in consultation with the Convener and the Clerk, make the final decision on editing any audio cast material to be broadcast or published in connection with any Board meeting. The reason for any decision to edit any audio cast material will be published.

Obscenities or Other Inappropriate Language

In the event of obscenities or other inappropriate or unacceptable language being used, the sound will be muted either live or in post-production as the Board’s audio casts are accessible by people of different ages. All persons in attendance at meetings are required to behave respectfully towards others.

Other Recording or Broadcasting of Meetings

No form of photography, filming, recording or broadcasting of meetings (other than audio casting for the Board’s purposes) shall take place unless express permission is given in advance by the Convener at his/her discretion.

Document Control Sheet

IMAGE: The final page displays the “Document Control Sheet” table with the dates 30.6.22 and 3.10.22, the Board and Karen Greaves, Clerk, and the reasons “Adoption of New Standing Orders” and “Formatting and publishing.”