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.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 20 July 2004.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th July 2004, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chair thanked Mr Trevor Davies (Vice-Chair) for presenting the Standard’s Committee Annual Report to Full Council on 16^th September 2004.  The Director of Law and Corporate Governance conveyed the Council’s thanks to the Standards Committee for the Annual Report.

(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".

            Resolved - That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of Item 8 of the Agenda ‘Complaints and Investigations Update’, as it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined by Paragraphs 1 and 15 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (minute 14 refers).

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Corporate Governance dated 20^th September 2004, recommending that the Committee note the position with regard to the operation of the various Council Codes of Conduct which fall within the Standards Committee’s terms of reference, and agree to the Director of Law and Corporate Governance consulting upon them and report back to a future meeting.  These included:

·        The Members’ Code of Conduct;

·        The Monitoring Officer Protocol;

·        Guidance to Councillors on Dealings with the Media

·        The Protocol on Member / Officer Relations

·        The Members’ Planning Code of Good Practice

·        The Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy and Whistleblowing Policy; and

·        The Officers’ Code of Conduct.

            Resolved – 1) That the position with regard to the operation of the various Council Protocols and Codes of Conduct which fall within the Standards Committee’s Terms of Reference be noted;

            2) That the Monitoring Officer consult on the operation of each Code and Protocol and report back to a future meeting of the Standards Committee on the outcome of the consultation;

            3) With regard to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Consultation Paper ‘A Model Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees’, August 2004, it was agreed that it was appropriate that an Officers’ Code of Conduct should exist, and that where employees, such as teachers, operated under other codes of conduct, these codes should not allow a lower standard of behaviour than that set out in a general employee Code.

            4) Further to 3) above it was agreed that Members of the Standards Committee be requested to forward any additional views in respect of the Consultation Paper to the Monitoring Officer to be included in the Council’s response to the consultation.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Corporate Governance dated 20^th September 2004, providing an update on various matters related to the ethical framework including a) the next meeting of the Independent Members Forum to be held on 15^th October 2004; b) training being held for Members and Parish Councillors; c) a change in advice from the Standards Board on the publication of the Register of Members Interests on the Council’s website; and d) the results of the Corporate Governance Survey and activities to raise the profile of the Standards Committee with Officers and Members.

Resolved – (1) That the update on matters related to the ethical framework be noted; and

(2) That in response to the Standards Board’s change in advice that Councils can now publish all Members’ public registers of interests online without obtaining consent, the Standards Committee confirm that this is the wish of the Committee and request the Monitoring Officer to notify Councillors accordingly and to publish the register of interests on the Council’s website. 

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Corporate Governance dated 20^th September 2004, reporting the outcome of various complaints and investigations including those to the Standards Board for England, whistle-blowing complaints, informal complaints and a breach of the Member / Officer Protocol.

            Resolved – 1) That the report be noted; and

            2) That in respect of the informal complaint, the Monitoring Officer in consultation with Chair determine whether it is appropriate to introduce guidance for Councillors and if so report to the Standards Committee in due course.