A REVIEW of the voting rights of religious representatives on Fife Council committees is to be carried out.

A motion raising the issue was made by Dunfermline Central councillor Aude-Boubaker at a meeting of the council last Thursday.

Councillors agreed that a report should be brought back to them after deciding against an SNP amendment that the decision should be made immediately.

Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor Sarah Neal said there was no need for further discussion.

She said: "Councillors are democratically-elected by the people and our job is to represent the views of the voters. Religious representatives are unelected sitting on the education committee. They don't need to be afforded voting rights. It is undemocratic.

"We don't need to have a council report on this. There is a consensus here, we can have religious representatives. It is just to remove the voting rights. That is in our gift to do that. It doesn't require a huge debate and council time."

Cllr Boubaker-Calder said the motion would allow them to make an informed decision.

"The public in Fife need an assurance that when it comes to a decision on education, we need to have local accountability," she said. ""We, as councillors, are accountable to the electorate and they are not. To me it is extremely concerning.

"I look forward to taking the time to consider this in an upcoming meeting."