Introduction
The Local Government Act 2000 requires local authorities
operating executive arrangements to prepare and keep up to date a
document known as the Constitution. Suffolk County Council
has agreed a Constitution which sets out how the Council operates,
how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to
ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to
local people.
How the Council operates
The council is composed of 75 councillors elected every four
years (the next election is due in May 2009). Councillors are
democratically accountable to residents in their electoral
division. The overriding duty of councillors is to the whole
community, but they have a special duty to their constituents,
including those who did not vote for them.
Councillors have to agree to follow a
Code of Conduct to ensure high standards in the way they undertake
their duties. The Standards Committee trains and advises them on
the Code of Conduct.
All councillors meet together as the Council. Meetings of the
County Council, and all Cabinet and committee meetings, are open to
the public except where we have a requirement to keep a discussion
confidential. Here councillors decide the Council's overall
policies and set the budget each year.
How decisions are made
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the part of the Council which is responsible for
most day-to-day decisions within the overall policy framework set
by the Council. The Cabinet is made up of eight Councillors
including the Leader of the Council. Cabinet members are also known
as Portfolio Holders as they are responsible for a portfolio of
policy and service-related issues. All decisions of the Cabinet are
made collectively and information about matters the Cabinet will be
considering is published monthly in the
Cabinet Forward Plan.
Scrutiny
There are eight Scrutiny Committees. Their general role is to
hold the Cabinet to account for the decisions it makes, to review
policy and contribute to its development, and to scrutinise the way
in which policies are implemented and council services are
delivered. The Health Scrutiny Committee has a wider remit which
extends to health services across Suffolk, and its membership
includes district and borough councillors as well as county
councillors.
The Council's staff
The Council employs staff to give advice, implement
decisions and manage the day-to-day delivery of its services, and
ensure that the Council acts within the law and uses its resources
wisely. The Constitution includes a protocol governing the
relationship between officers and members of the
Council.
The Constitution