To receive questions from members of the public.

Under the Constitution a member of the public can ask a Cabinet Member or Chairman of a Committee any question relevant to a matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties, or which affects the County, as long as a copy of the question is deposited with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services more than six clear working days before the meeting.  One question had been received from Mr C. Grover of Bromyard and was included in the agenda.  The question, which was amended to remove reference to an individual Councillor, together with a summary of the response, is set out below:

"Hereford Council owns Bromyard Downs and their management is formally delegated to the Commons Management Committee through Brockhampton Group Parish Council.  The Committee consists of 12 members, eight of whom are appointed by the Parish Council from their own members and four are commoners elected annually by other commoners at the Annual Meeting of Commoners held in April.  In the two previous years requests have been made to the Clerk in good time to publish the electoral procedure for this annual election and provide a copy of  the List of Commoners.   No list of commoners is available for candidates, no proxy votes are allowed for the election and only commoners present at the meeting can vote.  As this is an election to a public body responsible for the management of Hereford Council property, will the Council confirm at the next meeting in April 2007 -

1.                  that normal electoral procedures should prevail since there is no published or approved Management Committee or Parish Council constitution rules to suggest otherwise.

2.                  in the interests of local democracy proxy votes are permitted.

3.                  the list of 90 or so commoners is made available to candidates on request

4.                  the Commoners Annual General Meeting is a public meeting."

Councillor R.V. Stockton, the Cabinet Member (Community Services) stated that the introduction to the question was a broadly accurate statement of the factual position.  He said that the Agreement, dated 22nd May, 1991, between the Council and Brockhampton Group Parish Council was the operating document which determined responsibility for, not only the management of the Bromyard Downs, but also the delegation of the function to the Parish Council.  He said Mr Grover would be aware that a review had started which would consider carefully whether the present system should be maintained, with or without amendment.  He said that under the existing arrangements it was a matter for the Parish Council to carry out appropriate electoral functions rather than the Council.  It followed that electoral arrangements were also a matter for the Parish Council.

He went on to say that the list of commoners is a public document and should be available to any member of the public or the commoners and that the Council is willing to disclose such documents as it hold in relation to the Downs.  He advised that the current management agreement is silent on elections and admission to meetings and those issues fall to the Parish Council to determine.