To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 24^th September and 15^th October 2015.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Public Protection Sub-Committee meetings held on 24^th September and 15^th October 2015 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 Regulatory Services.

The Head of Regulatory Services submitted a report requesting Members to consider the use of a vehicle for private hire work whilst that vehicle was suspended.

The Sub-Committee considered how many days the vehicle had been used whilst not licenced.

Mr M. H did not attend the meeting.  The Sub-Committee were informed that several attempts had been made to contact Mr M. H to confirm if he was attending the meeting or not.

RESOLVED: That Mr M. H’s Private Hire driver’s licence and vehicle licence be suspended for one month from 23^rd November to enable a letter detailing the decision of the Sub-Committee to be hand delivered to Mr M. H due to his none attendance at the meeting.

To consider a report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

The Head of Regulatory Services submitted a report requesting Members to consider a Private Hire driver’s conviction.  The driver attended the meeting to enable Members to give the matter their full consideration.

Mr J. S, the driver’s solicitor provided the Sub-Committee with a brief outline of what Mr B. A said were the circumstances of the offence.

The Sub-Committee were given copies of a letter from Mr B. A’s wife, and also references from Abacus Travel Services and A.R. Accountancy Services in support of Mr B. A.

Mr. B. A answered questions from the Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee considered that the offence had taken place in Mr B. A’s Private Hire vehicle and involved a passenger in his vehicle and viewed this a serious matter and decided there were no exceptional reasons for them to depart from their guidelines that state that an applicant will normally be refused a licence when the applicant has a conviction for common assault and the conviction is less than 3 years prior to the date of the application.

              RESOLVED: That Mr B. A’s Private Hire driver’s licence be revoked.