Agenda and draft minutes

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest or dispensations reported.

The Committee will be requested to pass the following resolution:

Resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test as defined in Part 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test in accordance with Part 2 of Schedule 12A the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Committee received a report from the Head of Public Protection which outlined the background to a referral relating to the holder of a Private Hire Vehicle Licence, Mr R.

The Committee was requested to determine whether any disciplinary action was required and to assess Mr R’s suitability to carry out the duties of a licensed driver.

A Licensing Officer and Mr R attended the meeting, along with Mr R’s representative.

The Licensing Officer presented the report and answered questions from the Committee.

Mr R and his representative were given the opportunity to ask questions of the Licensing Officers.

Mr R’s representative then addressed the Committee.

Members of the Committee then asked question of Mr R and clarified a number of matters.

Following a summing up from the Licensing Officer and Mr R, both parties left the meeting room to allow consideration of the matter to be undertaken in private.

The options available to the Committee were:

·       Take no action

·       Issue a warning as to the driver’s future conduct

·       Suspend the driver’s licence; or

·       Revoke the driver’s licence

The Committee considered that it was an established principle that a licence was a privilege and not a right and considered all the options available to it.

In determining its response, the Committee took into account all that had been presented and contained within the papers submitted to the meeting and had regard to Section 61 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle Standards.

RESOLVED that Mr R remained a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire Driver’s Licence and that a warning be issued as to his future conduct.

The Committee received a report from the Head of Public Protection which outlined the background to a referral relating to the holder of a Private Hire Vehicle Licence, Mr E.

The Committee was requested to determine whether any disciplinary action was required and to assess Mr E’s suitability to carry out the duties of a licensed driver.

A Licensing Officer and Mr E attended the meeting.

The Licensing Officer presented the report and answered questions from the Committee.

Mr E was given the opportunity to ask questions of the Licensing Officers.

Mr E then addressed the Committee.

Members of the Committee then asked question of Mr E and clarified a number of matters.

Following a summing up from the Licensing Officer and Mr E, both parties left the meeting room to allow consideration of the matter to be undertaken in private.

The options available to the Committee were:

·       Take no action

·       Issue a warning as to the driver’s future conduct

·       Suspend the driver’s licence; or

·       Revoke the driver’s licence

The Committee considered that it was an established principle that a licence was a privilege and not a right and considered all the options available to it.

In determining its response, the Committee took into account all that had been presented and contained within the papers submitted to the meeting and had regard to Section 61 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle Standards.

RESOLVED that Mr E was no longer a fit and proper person to hold a licence with this Authority and that his Private Hire Driver’s Licence be revoked.