To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 25^th September 2014.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Public Protection Sub-Committee meeting held on 25^th September 2014 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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 Public Protection.

The Head of Public Protection submitted a report requesting Members to consider an incident of cheating which occurred during the Private Hire/Hackney Carriage knowledge test on Wednesday 2^nd July 2014.

The Sub-Committee decided to determine the matter in the applicant’s absence as this was the second opportunity he had been given to attend the Sub-Committee and he had failed to attend.  They noted this was due to work commitments.

The Sub-Committee were informed of the details of the incident as set out in the report.

The Sub-Committee must be satisfied that a person is fit and proper to hold a licence.  In determining suitability the Sub-Committee considered whether the applicant’s character is suitable to carry out the duties of a Private Hire driver.  The Council’s guidance states that drivers of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles are expected to be persons of trust.

The Sub-Committee determined that the applicant had failed to satisfy them that he was a trustworthy person as demonstrated by the events of 2^nd July 2014 and was therefore not fit and proper to hold a licence.

RESOLVED –

(1)             That Mr. Z. A’s application for a Private Hire driver’s licence be refused.

(2)             That a further report be brought to a future meeting of the Sub-Committee for Members to consider delegating any further incidents of cheating during the Knowledge Test to officers for decision.

To consider a report of the Head of Public Protection.

The Head of Public Protection submitted a report requesting Members to consider an application for the grant of Private Hire driver’s licence.  The applicant attended the meeting to enable Members to give the matter their full consideration.

The Sub-Committee determined that the spent convictions were relevant to the application and would be considered at the meeting along with the live conviction.

The applicant provided Members with a brief outline of the circumstances of the offences that took place in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

The Sub-Committee considered all the convictions and the circumstances detailed by the applicant and determined that the applicant was a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

RESOLVED: That Mr. C. R. K. H’s application for a Private Hire driver’s licence be granted.