1.	DEFINITIONS

1.1	The following terms have the following meanings.  However a different meaning may be given if it is essential in order for the words to make sense in the passage:

	“Authority” – the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, or one of its Committees, Sub-Committees or officers acting on the Council’s behalf, using powers which have been delegated lawfully;

	“Chairman” – the Member currently elected to be chairman of a committee or sub-committee;

	“Chief Executive Officer” – the head of the Council’s paid service, designated under section 4 of the 1989 Act;

	“Chief Officer” – a statutory or a non-statutory chief officer, as defined in section 2 of the 1989 Act;

	“Committee” – a committee of the Council (whether a policy Committee or an Overview and Scrutiny Panel);

	“Constitution” – the Council’s constitution under Section 37 of the 2000 Act;

	“Council” – the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council acting by the Council;

	“Employee” – an employee of the Council or the holder of a paid office appointed by the Authority, other than the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, any Councillor and any local officer of dignity appointed by the Authority under powers conferred by a Royal Charter;

	“Leader of a Political Group” – the person named as leader in a notice delivered to the proper officer by political group under regulation 7 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

	Leader of the Council” or “Leader” – the leader of the majority group if there is one; otherwise a Member who is appointed as Leader by the Council should the Council choose to do so;

	“Mayor” – the Member elected to be Mayor of the Borough;

	“Deputy Mayor” – the Member elected to be Deputy Mayor of the Borough;

	“Meeting” – a meeting of the Council, a committee or sub-committee; or panel

	“Member” – in relation to the Council, this means a Member of the Council; in relation to any committee or sub-committee it means a person who has been appointed as a Member of that committee or sub-committee, whether or not he is entitled to vote;

	“Monitoring officer” – the person designated as monitoring officer under section 5 of the 1989 Act.  If that person is unable to act owing to absence or illness, the expression means the person nominated as his deputy under subsection (7) of that section;

	“Monthly Bulletin“ - a system of informing Councillors of matters for information which do not require decisions to be made.

	“Officer” – a member of the Council’s staff;

	“Person Presiding” – the person who is entitled, or appointed, to preside at any meeting.  If an officer is the person presiding under one of these Standing Orders, he has no vote of any kind.

	“Political Group” – any political group constituted in accordance with regulation 7 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990;
	
	“Overview and Scrutiny Panel” – any committee named by the Council as such or designated as an overview and Overview committee under the 2000 Act; such committees are overview and scrutiny committees for the purposes of the 2000 Act and regulations made under it.

	“Standards Committee” – means a committee complying with section 53 and part III of the 2000 Act.

	“Sub-Committee” – a sub-committee of a committee;

	“Vice-Chairman” – the Member currently elected to be Vice-Chairman of a committee or sub-committee;

	“The 1972 Act” – the Local Government Act 1972;

	“The 1989 Act” – the Local Government and Housing Act 1989;

	“The 2000 Act” – the Local Government Act 2000.  References in these Standing Orders or the Constitution to the 2000 Act shall, before the coming into force of the relevant provision, indicate the Council’s intention to adopt the relevant  provision voluntarily save where the contrary appears or is necessarily implied.

	“Clear Days” – means any day upon which the Council Offices are open to the public, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

1.2	As long as the context of a passage allows;

•	singular expressions include plural meanings.

•	plural expressions include singular meanings.

•	masculine references include feminine meanings.

•	feminine references include masculine meanings.

	References to the Mayor, or Chairman, in the context of the person presiding at a meeting, include anyone lawfully presiding at the meeting.  In the absence of the Mayor or Chairman, the Deputy Mayor or Vice-Chairman respectively may exercise any of the Mayor’s or Chairman’s functions (as the case may be) under these Standing Orders.