The Constitution of the London Borough of Hounslow was scheduled to be reviewed, with a comprehensive agenda covering various aspects of the council's governance and operational procedures. The meeting's agenda detailed discussions on the council's constitutional framework, including its articles, allocation of responsibilities, rules of procedure, codes of conduct, and financial regulations.

The Council's Constitution

The core of the meeting was scheduled to focus on the Constitution of the London Borough of Hounslow. This document outlines the fundamental rules and principles by which the council operates. The agenda indicated that the constitution would be presented in several parts, starting with a summary and explanation, followed by the articles that form its legal basis.

Allocation of Responsibilities

A significant portion of the agenda was dedicated to the allocation of responsibilities within the council. This included:

• Matters Reserved to the Council and Terms of Reference and Delegation of Duties to Committees and Sub-Committees: This section was set to detail which decisions are exclusively made by the full council and how responsibilities are delegated to various committees and sub-committees. An addendum was also scheduled to address functions that are not the responsibility of the Cabinet.
• Local Choice Function: Discussions were anticipated regarding specific functions that the council has the discretion to manage.
• Leaders Scheme of Delegation for Cabinet Member Functions: This part of the agenda was to cover how the Leader of the Council delegates responsibilities to Cabinet members, advisory panels, and consultative forums.
• Delegations to Officers: The meeting was scheduled to review the extent to which decision-making powers are delegated to council officers.

Rules of Procedure

The meeting's agenda also included a review of the various rules of procedure that govern the council's operations:

• Council Procedure Rules: These rules dictate how the main council meetings are conducted.
• Committee Procedure Rules: This section was to cover the procedures for meetings of the council's committees.
• Overview and Scrutiny Rules: The agenda indicated a discussion on the rules governing how overview and scrutiny committees operate, a key function for holding the council to account.
• Cabinet Procedure Rules: These rules would outline the procedures for the Cabinet, the executive arm of the council.
• Access to Information Procedure Rules: Discussions were scheduled on how the public and councillors can access information held by the council.
• Contract Procedure Rules: This section was to cover the rules governing how the council enters into contracts.
• Finance Procedures and Regulations: The agenda included a review of the financial procedures and regulations that the council must adhere to, along with an addendum concerning the financial schedule.
• Members Complaints Procedures: This part of the agenda was to address the procedures for handling complaints made by or about councillors.
• Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules: Discussions were expected on the rules governing the council's budget setting and policy development processes.
• Officer Employment Procedure Rules: This section was to cover the procedures related to the employment of council officers.

Codes and Protocols

The meeting's agenda also listed several codes and protocols that guide the conduct and relationships within the council:

• Members Code of Conduct: This was scheduled to be reviewed, setting out the expected standards of behaviour for councillors.
• Gifts and Hospitality Protocol: Discussions were anticipated on the rules surrounding the acceptance of gifts and hospitality by councillors and officers.
• Protocol on Councillor - Officer Relations: This section was to address the expected working relationship between elected councillors and council officers.

Members Scheme of Allowances

The agenda indicated that the Members Scheme of Allowances, which details the payments made to councillors for their work, was also scheduled for discussion.

Supplementary Documents

Finally, the meeting was set to consider several supplementary documents:

• Petitions Scheme: This would outline the procedures for submitting and responding to petitions from residents.
• Planning Code: The agenda included a review of the code related to the council's planning functions.
• Licensing Code: Discussions were scheduled on the code governing the council's licensing activities.
• Access to Information: Further details on access to information were also on the agenda.

Additionally, the Pay Policy Statement, which outlines the council's approach to senior pay, was included as an associated document for consideration. The agenda noted that the current version of the constitution was published on 18 November 2025, with the May 2025 edition being republished due to a formatting error. Thomas Ribbits, Head of Democratic Services, was listed as the contact for further information.