To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 1^st December 2016 and 15^th December 2016.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Public Protection Sub-Committee meetings held on 1^st December 2016 and 15^th December 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive a verbal report from the Licensing Team Leader.

The Sub-Committee received a verbal report from the Licensing Team Leader on a proposed way to promote Hackney Carriage licences due to a current lack of Hackney carriage drivers coming through the system.

It was suggested to promote the opportunities of becoming a Hackney Carriage driver at induction.  The Team Leader also stated that it was possible for operators to attend the induction sessions and speak to potential drivers regarding Hackney Carriage licences and opportunities to work on a track basis.

RESOLVED: The Sub-Committee were informed that they would try the suggestions and a further report would be brought back to the Sub-Committee on whether the situation had improved.

Motion (Which may be amended as Members think fit):

That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within one or more descriptive category or categories of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, and specified on the agenda item or report relating to each such item respectively.

RESOLVED: That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following items on the agenda because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within one or more descriptive category or categories of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as specified.

To consider a report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

The Head of Regulatory Services submitted a report requesting Members to consider an application for the grant of a Private Hire driver’s licence.

The driver attended the meeting to enable Members to give the matter their full consideration.

The driver provided the Sub-Committee with an outline of what he said were the circumstances of the offence.

The driver also answered questions directed to him from Sub-Committee Members.

The Sub-Committee determined that his conviction was approximately 18 months ago and there was no good reason/exceptional circumstances for the committee to depart from its guidelines which outline that an application “will normally be refused where the conviction is less than 3 years prior to the date of application.”

Mr. M. D also failed to disclose details of this conviction in his statutory declaration form.  The Sub-Committee considered this was a deliberate and dishonest act on his behalf.

RESOLVED: That Mr. M. D’s application for a private hire driver’s licence be refused.