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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED – That Agenda Items 6 to 9 be brought forward and taken at this time.
RESOLVED – That the Press and Public be invited back into the Meeting for the consideration of the following item of business.
RESOLVED – (i) That the review of the Council’s Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators in line with the new DfT Statutory Standards and the Welsh Government’s Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing be approved. (ii) That consultation be undertaken with the trade and the wider public on draft Suitability Criteria.
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors I David Bithell MBE, Beverley Parry-Jones and Fred Roberts.
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 24 April 2023 were submitted. Referring to the technical issues which had resulted in several Members being unable to participate in the meeting some concern was expressed that these Members had been marked as absent in the Minutes. The Legal Officer advised that the recording of attendance in such circumstances should be consistent across meetings and this could be checked with Committee Services outside of the meeting. A Member conveyed concern that he had raised a complaint regarding the equipment following the last meeting and had not yet received a reply. RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 March 2023 be signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – That Agenda Items 6 to 9 be brought forward and taken at this time.
RESOLVED – That Agenda Items 6 to 9 be brought forward and taken at this time.
Agenda Items 6 to 9: Members determined in considering these reports that Paragraph 12 should apply. Their view on the public interest test was that to make this information public would disclose personal data relating to an individual in contravention of the principles of the Data Protection Act. Because of this and since there did not appear to be an overwhelming public interest requiring the disclosure of personal data they felt that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information. RESOLVED - That the press and public be excluded from the Meeting during consideration of the following items of business, as it is likely that, if they were present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – That the Press and Public be invited back into the Meeting for the consideration of the following item of business.
RESOLVED – That the Press and Public be invited back into the Meeting for the consideration of the following item of business.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – (i) That the review of the Council’s Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators in line with the new DfT Statutory Standards and the Welsh Government’s Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing be approved. (ii) That consultation be undertaken with the trade and the wider public on draft Suitability Criteria.
The Chief Officer Economy and Planning submitted a report (COEP/37/23) to instigate the review of the Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators with a view to achieving consistency and compliance with the Department for Transport’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and with Welsh Government’s Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing. Presenting the report the Officer informed Members that The DfT standard was published by the Secretary of State for Transport under the provisions of The Policing and Crime Act 2017 and local authorities were expected to implement the recommendations unless there is a compelling local reason not to. Members’ attention was drawn to the risks outlined in the report of not complying with the DfT standards. Members were asked to approve a review of the Council’s Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators in line with the new DfT Statutory Standards and the Welsh Government’s Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing along with consultation with the trade and the wider public on draft Suitability Criteria. Responses from the consultation would be taken into consideration and the final policy along with any comments received will be put before the Environmental Licensing Committee for approval. Considering the report Members made the following comments: · The changes would impact upon existing licence holders as the standards against which individuals with previous convictions should be assessed were, in some cases, stricter than the Council’s current standards. · Concern expressed by some Members at the proposed review of existing licence holders. The Officer highlighted Paragraph 3.14 of the DfT standard which stated that “any changes in Licensing requirements should be followed by a review of the licences already issued”. RESOLVED – (i) That the review of the Council’s Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators in line with the new DfT Statutory Standards and the Welsh Government’s Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing be approved. (ii) That consultation be undertaken with the trade and the wider public on draft Suitability Criteria.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
The council hasn't recorded attendance for this meeting.
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