Standing Orders

RULES OF DEBATE AT MEETINGS

1. Motions on the agenda shall be considered in the order that they appear unless the order is changed at the discretion of the chairman of the meeting.
2. A motion (including an amendment) shall not be progressed unless it has been moved and seconded.
3. A motion on the agenda that is not moved by its proposer may be treated by the chairman of the meeting as withdrawn.
4. If a motion (including an amendment) has been seconded, it may be withdrawn by the proposer only with the consent of the seconder and the meeting.
5. An amendment is a proposal to remove or add words to a motion. It shall not negate the motion.
6. If an amendment to the original motion is carried, the original motion (as amended) becomes the substantive motion upon which further amendment(s) may be moved.
7. An amendment shall not be considered unless early verbal notice of it is given at the meeting and, if requested by the chairman of the meeting, is expressed in writing to the chairman.
8. A councillor may move an amendment to his own motion if agreed by the meeting. If a motion has already been seconded, the amendment shall be with the consent of the seconder and the meeting.
9. If there is more than one amendment to an original or substantive motion, the amendments shall be moved in the order directed by the chairman of the meeting.
10. Subject to standing order 1(k), only one amendment shall be moved and debated at a time, the order of which shall be directed by the chairman of the meeting.
11. One or more amendments may be discussed together if the chairman of the meeting considers this expedient but each amendment shall be voted upon separately.
12. A councillor may not move more than one amendment to an original or substantive motion.
13. The mover of an amendment has no right of reply at the end of debate on it.
14. Where a series of amendments to an original motion are carried, the mover of the original motion shall have a right of reply either at the end of debate on the first amendment or at the very end of debate on the final substantive motion immediately before it is put to a vote.
15. Unless permitted by the chairman of the meeting, a councillor may speak once in the debate on a motion except:
    1. to speak on an amendment moved by another councillor;
    2. to move or speak on another amendment if the motion has been amended since they last spoke;