Constitution

1. Title

The name of the Group shall be the "Fire and Rescue Statistics User Group". Its short title shall be the "FRSUG". The FRSUG shall exist solely to carry out the Terms of Reference as set out below. The FRSUG shall report to officials and Ministers at its sponsoring government department, which shall be the government department with ministerial responsibility for fire and rescue service policy and guidance in England.

2. Terms of Reference

  1. To provide a consultation forum for fire and rescue statistics and promote the free exchange of views and information.
  2. To promote the use of fire and rescue statistics to inform policy and practice.
  3. To identify and monitor existing sources of data and improve users' access to fire and rescue statistics.
  4. To identify areas of collaboration and develop where feasible data sharing protocols between members of the Group as part of an overall annual work plan.
  5. To keep fire and rescue statistics users informed of any new developments in fire and rescue statistics.
  6. When requested, to provide advice on statistical matters to both the Practitioners' Forum and the Business and Community Safety Forum.

3. Membership

Membership of the Group is by application, nomination or invitation only and shall be agreed by the FRSUG Group. Membership of the Group shall be reviewed periodically by the Group. Any decision by the Group members on an application or nomination for membership of the Group shall be final.

4. Officers of the FRSUG

  1. Chair
  2. Vice Chair
  3. Group Secretary or other person as agreed by the Chair - who shall be provided by the sponsoring government department and who will also be responsible for updating the web site as new data is produced.
  4. The running of the FRSUG shall be managed by the Group general meeting, but urgent action between meetings shall be the responsibility of the Officers, subject to subsequent ratification by the Group.

5. Register of Members

  1. The Group Secretary shall maintain a general register with details of all FRSUG members. The register shall be published on the FRSUG website, but shall do so without revealing personal or organisational contact details for Group members.
  2. The register shall conform to the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

6. General Meetings

A meeting shall be held three times a year in February, May and October unless otherwise determined by the Group. The Group Secretary and Chair shall be responsible for providing an Agenda for such meetings and also Minutes of the previous meeting of the FRSUG to be agreed by the Group members present.

7. Amendments to the Constitution

  1. No addition, alteration or deletion shall be made to any existing Article of the Constitution of the FRSUG except at a Group meeting provided that the proposal has been circulated to all Group members at least one calendar month prior to the meeting commencing and is placed on the agenda for that meeting.
  2. Any proposal for alteration, addition or deletion to the existing Constitution requires the approval of a majority of at least two thirds of the Group members present at the meeting.
  3. Any proposal for an amendment to the existing Constitution agreed by the FRSUG shall be sent by the Group Secretary to the sponsoring government department for agreement by the sponsoring department's Policy person. Until agreement to the proposal is received no amendment to the Constitution may take place.

8. Interpretation of Constitution

The FRSUG shall have the sole power to determine any question that may arise concerning the interpretation of the Articles of the FRSUG whether in full or in part. This will be decided at a Group meeting.

9. Procedure for the appointment of Chair and Vice Chair

  1. Following:
    The resignation of the Chair or Vice Chair of the FRSUG or, upon completion of their 3-year term of office or, by an application signed by at least two-thirds of the Group's members submitted to the Secretary no less than one month before the next arranged meeting an election will be held to fill the position(s). Members will be invited to propose candidates at a nomination meeting. Such a nomination meeting must be clearly identified as such on the Agenda for the meeting. Each proposal must be seconded. Only Members who have indicated their willingness to serve should be proposed
  2. If more than one candidate is proposed to fill a vacancy, then unless the other candidates are prepared to withdraw voluntarily in favour of one of their number, a ballot of all Members will be held. This ballot will be organised by the Group Secretary and votes will be cast electronically or by post. That ballot shall take place following the close of the nomination meeting and before the commencement of the next scheduled meeting of the Group. Only members of the Group will be eligible to vote in the ballot and may do so only once. Officials from the CLG (or any future sponsoring government department) shall not be eligible to vote, but may participate in the debate around nomination.
  3. The name of the person nominated and prepared to become Chair of the Group shall be forwarded by the Group Secretary to the sponsoring government department for their approval, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
  4. The maximum period that a Chair or Vice Chair may serve is three years from the date of their appointment. The outgoing Chair and Vice Chair shall be eligible for re-election. However, if there is another candidate for the post of Chair then the Vice Chair shall assume the Chair while the final nominee is decided by the Group members.
  5. With the exception of paragraph (c) above which shall not apply in this case the same procedure shall be adopted to elect a Vice Chair of the Group.
  6. The Vice Chair shall assume the Chair in the absence of the Chair, or during a challenge to a ruling of the Chair, or during those periods pending the election of a new Chair.

10 Dissolution of the FRSUG

  1. The FRSUG may only be dissolved by either resolution of a Group meeting or by the sponsoring Government department. A majority of at least two thirds of FRSUG members present at such a meeting and of those returning a written consent for the dissolution but not present at the meeting shall be required.

FRSUG Constitution 2007 edition