Dundee Local Licensing Forum Constitution

The name of the organisation shall be the Dundee Local Licensing Forum

The terms of reference of the Forum are as follows:-

1. to keep the liquor licensing system in Dundee under regular review and to respond to consultation exercises undertaken by the Dundee Licensing Board and the Scottish Executive as appropriate;
2. to consider the implications of relevant local data and statistics provided by the local police force, the local Health Board and the Dundee Drug and Alcohol Action Group;
3. to meet the Dundee Licensing Board at least once per year; and
4. to give advice and make recommendations to the Dundee Licensing Board in relation to any matters as the Forum considers appropriate, excepting individual licensing applications.

In terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 ("the Act"), the Forum shall consist of not fewer than five and not more than twenty members from the various representative groups specified in the Act.

Members will be appointed at the first meeting of the Council following an election and will serve for a period of four years, after which they will be eligible for re-election.

Any vacancies during this term may be filled and will run for the remainder of the four year term detailed above.

In order to be eligible for membership of the Forum, a person should be currently employed in or be a duly appointed representative of one or more of the following groups, namely:-

the Chief Constable, persons having functions relating to health, education and social work, holders of premises licences and personal licences, persons resident within the Forum area or young people in the area of Dundee.

Notwithstanding the above, the Forum may agree to representation from other groups who may have an interest relevant to the Forum's general functions.

The Licensing Standards Officer shall be appointed as a member of the Forum.

The Forum may, as it sees necessary, appoint Sub-Committees to carry out any of its functions.

The quorum of all Sub-Committees shall be three members.

1. As laid out in the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, there shall be at least four meetings of the local licensing Forum per calendar year, including one meeting with the Licensing Board.
2. Notice of the place, date and time of a meeting of the Forum will be given to every member not later than seven days before the meeting.
3. Any member unable to attend in person may appoint a substitute to attend on their behalf who can express their views.
4. All meetings of the Forum shall be open to members of the Press and Public.
5. The quorum for a meeting of a Forum shall be one half of the number of members (but in any case not fewer than three). No business will be conducted at any meeting unless that meeting is quorate.

The quorum of all Sub-Committees shall be three members.

As laid out in Schedule 2 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, Forum members will elect a Convener at their first meeting in each calendar year.

Meetings of the Forum are to be chaired by the Convener.

If the office of the Convener is vacant or for any reason unable to act, a meeting of the Forum may be chaired by any other member present.

Each member present at a meeting shall be entitled to one vote.  The Chairperson shall have a casting vote, except in cases of appointment of a member to any particular office, in which case the decision will be by lot.

It shall be the duty of the Convener:-

1. to preserve order, and to ensure that every member of the Forum shall have a fair hearing;
2. to decide all matters of order, competency and relevancy;
3. to decide between two or more members of the Forum rising to speak by calling on the member who has first caught his or her eye;  and
4. to ensure that due and sufficient opportunity is given to members of the Forum who wish to speak to express their views on the subject under discussion.

The decision of the Convener on all matters within his or her competency shall be final, and shall not be open to question or discussion.