Agenda and minutes

Members are requested at the start of the meeting to declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and are reminded that any such interest should also be declared at the start of an item or during any discussion of the matter concerned.

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  No declarations were made.

            Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th May 2009, be confirmed and signed. 

(See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Clerk whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.)

            No public questions were received during the meeting.

Certain items are expected to include the consideration of exempt information and the Standards Committee is, therefore, recommended to resolve "That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of the matters referred to in the items listed below, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in the respective paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information".

            Resolved - That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of the matters referred in Agenda Item 10 on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A to the Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information concerned (Minute 9 refers.)

The Committee are invited to view a training DVD issued by the Standards Board entitled ‘The Code Uncovered’, and discuss the issues raised.  The DVD uses a fictional planning application dispute to illustrate the key changes to the revised Code of Conduct, including the rules about declaring interests, disclosing confidential information and bullying.  

The Committee (a) viewed the DVD ‘The Code Uncovered’ issued by the Standards Board for England as a training aid to highlight some of key changes within the new Code of Conduct, through a dramatised scenerio of a Planning Committee meeting, and (b) discussed issues relating to the Code of Conduct and bullying arising from the DVD presentation.

Resolved –That the DVD presentation on the Code of Conduct be noted.

            The Committee considered a report of the Law and Democratic Services Officer (Monitoring Officer) asking the Committee to agree its Annual Report for 2008/09 and Work Programme for 2009/10.

            Resolved – (1) That the Annual Report for 2008/09 be approved and forwarded to Council for information, subject to (a) the amendments agreed by the Committee and any further amendments advised by Committee Members to the Monitoring Officer, (b) the inclusion of information relating to complaints, their seriousness, actions taken and the Committee’s determination to take all complaints seriously.

            (2) That the Committee’s Work Programme for 2009/10 be approved.

            The Committee considered the report from the Director of Law and Democratic Services (Monitoring Officer) on the following Ethical Framework matters -

            a) Standards Committee (Future Provisions) Regulations 2009  - The Committee noted the key provisions of the Regulations had come into effect, largely unchanged, in June 2009 and were set out in the Standards Bulletin 42 (February 2009).

            b) Joint Standards Committees - The Committee noted that the Standards Committee had issued formal guidance in relation to establishing and operating Joint Standards Committees together with reasons why authorities may wish to do so.  The Committee also noted that it had previously agreed that it saw no reason to establish a Joint Committee but would review this stance if another authority expressed an interest in such an arrangement. 

            c) Granting of Dispensations - The Monitoring Officer advised that the guidance issued by the Standards Board on the granting of dispensations was attached as Appendix 1 to the report. 

            d) Suspension of the Initial Assessment Functions of an Authority – The Committee agreed that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any necessary amendments to the Council’s Constitution, Members Code of Conduct and other Codes and Protocols to reflect the new Regulations in relation to the powers of the Standards Board in this matter.

            e) Probity in Planning - The Committee noted that the Monitoring Officer would review the Members Planning Code of Good Practice in the light of the LGA document and consult with the Planning Committee and other bodies and interested persons.  The new Guidance was attached as Appendix 2 to the report.

            f) Standards Board Publications - The Committee noted the latest Standards Board Bulletin (Issues 44) set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

                        g) Annual Assembly of Standards Committees - The Members of Committee noted that the Annual Assembly would be held on 12-13th October 2009 in Birmingham and agreed to advise the Monitoring Officer if they wished to attend.

            h) Training Update - The Committee noted the training update.  It was noted that all Members of the Licensing Committee would receive formal training and until such time as this was provided they would not serve on Appeal Panels.

                        Resolved – (1) That the Ethical Framework update be noted;

            (2) That the Committee notes the Standards Committee (Future Provisions) Regulations 2009 which came into effect in June 2009, and the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any necessary arrangements to the Council's Constitution or Codes of Conduct and Protocols to reflect these changes and any further Guidance issued by the Standards Board for England.

            (3) That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to consult with the Planning Committee and other relevant bodies and interested persons on any changes required to the Members Planning Code of Good Practice arising from the LGA “Probity in Planning” Guidance, and he be requested to report the consultation results to a future meeting of this Committee.

                        (4) That the Standards Committee Members advise the Monitoring Officer if they wish to attend the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Democratic Services setting out a request received from the Chair of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel on Councillors’ Allowances for an increase in the membership of the Panel.  Mr. Trevor Davies, who had been on the interview panel for a lay person vacancy, reported that 15 applications had been received for the position and 6 people had been short-listed.  He commented that the calibre of the applicants had been the best he had seen and supported the Chair of the Remuneration Panel in his request for the appointment of an additional lay person to serve on the Panel.

            Resolved – That approval be given to the increase in Membership of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel on Councillors’ Allowance by the appointment of an additional Lay Member.

            The Committee considered an exempt report of the Director of Law and Democratic Services regarding the outcome of various ethical framework compliance matters, including the progress of current whistleblowing complaints and a breach of member/officer protocol.  It was noted that two complaints had been received under the Member/Officer Protocol since the last meeting of the Committee, which were currently being investigated.  The report also set out cases that had been resolved since the Committee’s May meeting.

            Resolved - 1) That the report on the outcome of various ethical framework complaints be noted.

            2) That the Director of Law and Democratic Services be requested to investigate the current review procedures for complaints received and report back to this Committee any amendments that, whilst retaining the integrity of the investigative process, will shorten the timescales involved.