Issue - meetings

RECOMMENDATION

To agree the Member Parental Leave Policy at Appendix A.

Council considered a report on a proposed Member Parental Leave Policy, as set out at Agenda pages 65 to 77.

The report stated that the Council had agreed a Motion, at its meeting in October 2022, supporting the introduction of a parental Leave Policy for Members. At present, there was no legal right for Members to take parental leave. It was intended that adoption of the Policy (Appendix A) would help to remove some of the barriers which currently deterred people from standing for election.

The proposal was to effectively “stop the clock” at the point leave was taken so that a Member taking parental leave did not find him/herself in breach of the Local Government Act 1972, which required Members to attend at least one meeting during a consecutive period of six months.

It was proposed by Councillor Rachel Bishop-Firth and seconded by Councillor Laura Blumenthal that the recommendation within the report be agreed.

RESOLVED:  That the Member Parental Leave Policy at Appendix A to the report, be agreed.