Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Caryl Davies and Councillor Gareth Thomas.

Cllr Betsan Jones declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 4 as she was one of the Councillors who had made a request for dispensation.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 9^th September 2024.

(Note: Councillor Betsan Jones had earlier declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and left the meeting during consideration and determination of this item).

The Committee considered dispensation requests from 29 members of the Plaid Cymru Group on the County Council for the grant of a dispensation under the provisions of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations 2001.

It was reported that the application related to Council business regarding rural poverty and the rural proofing strategy, and each Councillor had a personal and prejudicial interest in such business as they all lived in or had close personal associates who lived in rural or semi-rural wards and were impacted by the rural proofing strategy.

The Legal Services Manager briefed the Committee on the ground by which the applications had been submitted and outlined which of those ground he felt applied as part of the application.

It was recommended that should the Committee be mindful to grant the applications then delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer authorising him to grant dispensation to any other Councillor with an interest in such business including to Cabinet members authorising them to exercise their individual cabinet member powers.

 Following a discussion, it was

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

7.1    that dispensation be granted under Regulations 2 (c), (d), (e) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001 to Councillors Karen Davies, Handel Davies, Ann Davies, Bryan Davies, Andrew Davies, Kim Broom, Llinos Davies, Arwel Davies, Alex Evans, Hazel Evans, Mansel Charles, Linda Evans, Tyssul Evans, Ken Howell, Meinir James, Carys Jones, Betsan Jones, Hefin Jones, Jean Lewis, Neil Lewis, Aled Vaughan Owen, Denise Owen, Dorian Phillips, Emlyn Schiavone, Russell Sparks, Dai Thomas, Gareth Thomas, Alun Lenny and  Elwyn Williams up to the end of March 2025 to SPEAK, MAKE WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS AND VOTE on matters relating to  rural poverty and the rural proofing strategy.

7.2   that the dispensation does not, however, apply on any occasion where the Council or any Committee are specifically discussing any matters which directly affect the wellbeing of the Councillors detailed in 7.1 above or their close personal associates.

7.3   that delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer to grant dispensation to any other Councillor with an in interest in such business, including Cabinet members authorising them to exercise their individual cabinet member powers.

There were no items of urgent business.