Equalities Sub-Committee (7pm) - 28 September 2021

REVISED

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a virtual/remote meeting to be held on Tuesday 28 September 2021 at 7pm

Members of the Equalities Sub-Committee

Councillors:

Stephen Giles-Medhurst

Margaret Hofman

Raj Khiroya

Sarah Nelmes

Keith Martin

Roger Seabourne

Shanti Maru

Ciarán Reed

Stephen Cox

Joanne Wagstaffe Chief Executive

20 September 2021

(The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 made under the Coronavirus Act 2020 enable Council/Committee meetings to be held in a virtual format and enables remote attendance.

The meeting starts at 7pm and will be virtual/remote meeting in that it will be conducted at no specific location and all participants are at various locations, communicating via audio and online.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public to its discussion on Part I agenda items at Committee meetings.  Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee.  Details of the procedure are provided below:

Members of the public wishing to speak will be entitled to register and identify which Part I report they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the remote meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak must do so by notifying the Committee Team by e-mail 48 hours before the meeting. The first 2 people to register (1 for and 1 against) will be sent a link so that they can join the meeting to exercise that right.  This will also allow the Committee Team to prepare the speaker sheet in advance of the remote meeting to forward to the Chair of the meeting.

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part 1 business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council's meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the laws of libel and defamation.

Please note that the meeting is being held virtually. The Part I business of the meeting will be live streamed via this link (Archived)

1.            APPOINTMENT OF THE CHAIR OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

1A.         APPOINTMENT OF THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

2.            APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

3.          MINUTES

To agree as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Equalities Sub-Committee held on 15 March 2021.

4.            NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items.

5.         DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

To receive any declarations of interest.

6.            EQUALITY POLICY AND EQUALITY OBJECTIVES

Presentation on the current Equality Policy and the Equality Objectives, including feedback on the successes of the current Equality Objectives.

7.         PREVENT

Presentation and group discussion on extremism and emerging issues.

8.       WATFORD MENCAP

Presentation on issues experienced by clients during the pandemic and in relation to hate crime and discrimination.

9.      WORK PLAN OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE

10.    ANY OTHER BUSINESS – If agreed under item 3 above.

11.   EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If the sub-committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:- “that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 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 under paragraphs 1-7 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.” 1.  ITEMS OF BUSINESS AGREED under item 3.