Minutes for Standards Committee meeting, Jan 28 2010, 10.00AM official page

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M. Fearn.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2009

RESOLVED:  

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Legal Director

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director on the recent transfer of the work of the Adjudication Panel for England to the General Regulatory Chamber (GRC) with effect from 18 January 2010.  The GRC would operate with formal powers and be able to implement a wider range of sanctions than those at the discretion of local Standards Committees.

RESOLVED:  

That the report be noted.

Report of the Legal Director

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated copies of four case summaries published by Standards for England following recent investigations by Ethical Standards Officers.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report be noted; and

(2)       the case summaries be published on the Members' Portal and Members of the Council be sent an email link.

Report of the Legal Director

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated copies of the following on-line guides produced by the Standards for England which supplement the existing guidance on the Members' Code of Conduct:

·             Bullying and the Code of Conduct

·             Disclosing Confidential Information

·             Freemasons and the Code of Conduct

·             Gifts, Hospitality and the Code of Conduct

·             Independent Members

·             Lobbying

·             Notifications to Parish and Town Councils concerning complaints about their Members

·             Personal and Prejudicial Interests

·             Role and Appointment of Parish and Town Council Representatives to the Standards Committee

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report be noted;

(2)       the on-line guides be circulated to all Members of the Council and published on the Members' Portal; and

(3)       the Legal Director include the topics of the on-line guides in the programme of induction for new Councillors elected at the Council elections in May 2010.

Report of the Legal Director

The Committee considered the report of the Legal Director which incorporated a copy of a research document commissioned by Standards for England which centred on nine areas of notable practice from local Standards Committees.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)      the report be noted;

(2)      the Legal Director be requested to identify examples of good practice for inclusion in the training programme for new Councillors elected at the Council elections in May 2010.