Minutes for Standards Committee meeting, Oct 15 2009, 6.30PM official page

This report presents the Local Government Ombudsman’s Annual Review for 2008-9 for the Committee’s consideration and comment. The Review has replaced the Ombudsman’s Annual Letter and provides more detailed information on all complaints where the Council was found to be at fault.

There were a number of matters arising from the Committee’s consideration of the Complaints and Members’ Enquiries Procedures Annual Report at its June meeting. This report also provides the Committee with the additional information requested.

This report sets out proposal to examine the Council’s existing Member/Officer Protocol as part of the overall Constitutional review to reflect current best practice and local needs. This was included in the Committee’s work programme agreed at its meeting held on 17 June 2009.

This report has two purposes. Firstly, to provide an update to Standards Committee on the progress made in delivering member training and development opportunities over the last year. Secondly, to provide Standards Committee with an initial outline of proposals regarding Ethical Framework training/induction for all Members that is intended to be rolled out at the start of the new electoral term.

      This report advises Standards Committee that the Council’s Members’ Enquiries Protocol is being reviewed by officers and details the accompanying arrangements. 

  It is anticipated that a final report on the revised Members’ Enquiries Protocol will be brought before Standards Committee for agreement prior to the new electoral term.

The Council appoints from among its Councillors and sometimes members of the community to represent it in various capacities on outside bodies.  This report provides guidance for such Members with the view to giving them support and confidence in understanding their responsibilities and the implications of their appointment on the relevant outside bodies.

Following regulations issued by Communities and Local Government on 15th June, the Standards for England (SfE) has published guidance for local authorities on establishing joint standards committees and amending grounds on which the Standards Committee can grant a dispensation to a Member who would otherwise be prohibited from taking part in a matter because of a prejudicial interest.  This report provides a brief outline of what is contained in the two publications.

This report summarises for the information of Members the contents of Bulletin Nos. 44 and 45 published by the Standards for England (SfE).