Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

At this point, Members were asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they had in the business on the agenda.  No Members declared any interests.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2006.

RESOLVED:     That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2006 be approved and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, Members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is 10.00 am on Thursday 31 August 2006.

It was reported that there were no registrations to speak under the council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report examines the current medical standards for licensed taxi and private hire drivers with particular reference to diabetes. It seeks members views on amending our current requirements in the light of changes of medical opinion with regard to insulin treated diabetes.

Members considered a report that examined the current medical standards for licensed taxi and private hire drivers with particular interest to diabetes. 

The Authority had previously adopted the group 2 standards as its medical requirement for licensed drivers, and this standard precluded those who were insulin dependant diabetics from driving public carriage vehicles.  The report also detailed the requirements for drivers holding a C1 licence which permitted insulin dependant persons to drive certain vehicles subject to stricter monitoring and annual medical assessment.

Following consultation with various interested bodies, the report highlighted that both the CYC Occupational Health Advisor and a Consultant Physician in Diabetes & Endocrinology, supported the proposal to relax the standards for the licensing of insulin dependant drivers, in line with those relating to C1 drivers and subject to strict medical monitoring.

Members were informed that the European Driver Licensing Committee had met in February 2006 but a report from the Diabetes working group which would provide specific advice with regard to the medical standards applied to taxi drivers had yet to be produced.  Also, that the licensing authority was currently involved in an appeal in the Magistrates Court in relation to the Council’s current policy on the issue.

Members were asked to consider two options:

·         To retain the existing standards in relation to the application of the full Group 2 medical standards in line with that for public carriage vehicles for licensed taxi and PHV drivers which precludes licensing drivers with insulin dependent diabetes until further advice is received from the DVLA.

·         Apply the C1 exemption in line with the policy now applied by the Public Carriage Office which allows those drivers who are insulin dependent to be licensed as taxi/PHV drivers subject to strict medical monitoring.

RECOMMENDED:  That Option 1 be approved.

REASON:    To ensure the safety of the general public.

This report is to inform Members regarding the review of the electoral arrangements for the Parish of Clifton Without.         

Members considered a report regarding the electoral arrangements for the Parish of Clifton Without following a request to reduce the number of parish councillors from fifteen to ten due to a failure in the past to recruit fifteen members. 

A review took place between 1 July and 1 August 2006, during which time, no comments or representation were received.

Members were asked to consider two options:

·         To reduce the number of parish councillors from fifteen to ten to provide the parish with a fully elected membership.

·         Not to reduce the membership of the Clifton Without Parish Council which  would result in the parish council not having a full membership quota.